Portable Battery-Powered NMR Sensor for Field Analysis
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional NMR devices are expensive, complex, and require trained technicians for operation, making them unsuitable for field use and everyday chemical analysis.
Innovation Solution
A portable, battery-powered NMR system that generates NMR data and uses a user interface to present focused results, allowing for analysis of biological and non-biological samples, with data processing offloaded to a remote device for simplified operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional NMR devices are used, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases and ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the complex data processing and analysis functions from the portable NMR device and relocates them to a remote computing device. The portable device retains only the essential NMR sensing and data acquisition capabilities, while the remote device handles Fourier transformation, spectral analysis, and result interpretation. This separation maintains measurement precision while dramatically reducing device complexity and eliminating the need for trained technicians to operate the portable unit.
2Measurement precision
If conventional NMR devices are used, then measurement precision is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates requiring trained technicians
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a remote computing device as an intermediary between the portable NMR device and the user. This intermediary handles all complex data processing, analysis, and interpretation tasks, receiving raw NMR data from the portable device and returning simplified results to the user. This mediator layer maintains measurement precision while making the system easy to operate without requiring trained technicians, as the complex operations are performed automatically by the remote system.
3Ease of operation
If portable NMR system is used, then ease of operation is improved, but measurement precision may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the NMR system into two distinct components: a portable device optimized for ease of operation and sample analysis, and a remote computing device optimized for precise data processing and analysis. The portable segment handles sample introduction, NMR signal generation and detection, while the remote segment performs high-precision Fourier transformation, spectral deconvolution, and quantitative analysis. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function, maintaining measurement precision while improving ease of operation.
4Reliability
If conventional NMR devices are used, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases making them unsuitable for field use
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the heavy computational and processing components from the portable NMR device and places them in a remote computing environment. This extraction allows the portable device to be minimized to only the essential NMR sensing and signal generation components, making it suitable for field use while maintaining reliable and accurate analysis through the remote processing system that handles all complex data interpretation tasks.
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
Enables cost-effective, user-friendly NMR analysis in various environments without the need for trained technicians, providing quick identification of physiological, chemical, and health conditions in humans, animals, plants, and inorganic substances.
Implementation Method 1
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) capability to detect organic compounds
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments disclosed herein provide NMR systems and methods that use a portable, battery-powered, and robust NMR sensor apparatus to obtain NMR data of a sample, algorithms for evaluating the NMR data, and a user interface that presents specific, focused results of the NMR data analysis. The NMR systems and methods can be used to identify various physiological, chemical and health conditions in human, animals, plants and other biological materials. In addition, the NMR systems and method can also be used to identify chemicals, compounds, and elements in inorganic matter or non-biological substances.