NMR Resonator Foil Design for Low Frequency Quality Factor
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing NMR resonators for low-resolution NMR face challenges in achieving low resonance frequencies without compromising measurement quality, as increasing capacitance to lower resonance frequencies leads to deteriorated dielectric losses and quality factors, and current designs are mechanically unstable and expensive to produce.
Innovation Solution
A band-shaped NMR resonator with a dielectric flexible foil conductively coated on both sides, featuring overlapping ends electrically connected via capacitors and through-connections, which quadruples the inductance and reduces resonance frequency while maintaining or improving the quality factor, offering a compact, mechanically stable, and cost-effective solution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If the capacitance C of the resonator is increased to reduce the resonance frequency to approximately 10 MHz, then the resonance frequency is reduced, but the quality of the NMR measuring results deteriorates considerably due to increased dielectric losses
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a conventional planar or spiral inductive section to a three-dimensional cylindrical configuration. The inductive section is formed by a conductive coating on the inner surface of a cylindrical dielectric resonator body, creating a toroidal magnetic field configuration. This dimensional change allows for increased inductance L without proportionally increasing the physical footprint, enabling lower resonance frequencies while maintaining acceptable dielectric loss characteristics.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies the geometric parameters of the resonator, specifically the dimensions of the cylindrical dielectric body (radius R and height H) and the thickness and conductivity of the coating. By optimizing these parameters, the inductance L is increased to achieve lower resonance frequencies (e.g., 10 MHz for C13 measurements) while controlling the capacitance C and minimizing dielectric losses through proper material and dimensional selection.
2Speed
If a spirally bent band-shaped section is used to form the inductive section, then the resonance frequency can be adjusted, but the NMR resonator becomes mechanically unstable and very difficult to produce with precision
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a thin conductive coating applied to the inner surface of a cylindrical dielectric resonator body. This coating can be deposited using standard techniques such as sputtering, evaporation, or screen printing, making the resonator easy to manufacture with good precision. The cylindrical geometry provides inherent mechanical stability, eliminating the mechanical instability issues associated with spirally bent configurations.
3Speed
If a solenoid coil with numerous windings is used as the inductive section, then the resonance frequency can be adjusted, but a support body is required that considerably reduces the usable volume under investigation and the production cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the inductive function from a traditional solenoid coil structure and integrates it directly into the dielectric resonator body through an internal conductive coating. This eliminates the need for a separate support body to hold coil windings, thereby maximizing the usable volume for sample placement. The inductive section is formed by the coating itself on the inner cylindrical surface, removing the structural overhead of coil supports.
4Device complexity
If the inductive section is formed by a conventional conductor structure, then the construction is simple, but acoustic oscillations cause disturbances and reduce measurement quality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite structure consisting of a dielectric resonator body with a conductive coating on its inner surface. The dielectric material provides mechanical stability and acoustic damping, reducing susceptibility to acoustic oscillations. The conductive coating provides the necessary inductive properties. This composite construction maintains relative simplicity while effectively suppressing acoustic disturbances through the inherent damping properties of the dielectric material.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The resonator design achieves a significantly improved quality factor and mechanical stability, enabling high-quality NMR measurements at low resonance frequencies with reduced construction expenses, particularly suitable for measuring C13 atoms, and minimizing disturbances from acoustic oscillations.
Implementation Method 1
the inductive section is formed by a dielectric flexible foil which is conductively coated on two sides
Implementation Method 2
the capacitive section is formed from one or several discrete capacitor(s)
Implementation Method 3
Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy is an effective method of instrumental analysis. RF (radio frequency) pulses are irradiated into a sample that is disposed in a static magnetic field, and the RF reaction of the sample is measured
Data Source
AI summary
A nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) resonator (1; 31) comprising an inductive section (6) and a capacitive section (6a), wherein the inductive section (6) is band-shaped and surrounds a substantially cylindrical volume under investigation (5), wherein the capacitive section (6a) is formed from one or more discrete capacitor(s) (13; 13a, 13b, 13c, 13d), and wherein the ends (7, 8) of the band-shaped inductive section (6) are connected through one or several capacitor(s) (13; 13a, 13b, 13c, 13d) of the capacitive section (6a), is characterized in that the inductive section (6) is formed from a dielectric flexible foil (2) which is conductively coated on both sides and the ends (7, 8) of the band-shaped inductive section (6) overlap, wherein the outer coating (4) of the inner end (7) is electrically conductingly connected to the inner coating (3) of the outer end (8), with one or more through-connections (10) being provided in the area of the inner end (7) of the band-shaped inductive section (6), and the outer coating (4) being connected in the area of the outer end (8) to the inner coating (3) in the area of the inner end (7) via one or more capacitor(s) (13; 13a, 13b, 13c, 13d) and one or several through-connection(s) (10). The inventive NMR resonator for low-resolution NMR has a simple construction and provides NMR measurements of improved quality at low resonance frequencies.