Slice Microscopy in Conductors for Battery Depth Profiling

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques face limitations in achieving high spatial resolution for conducting structures, such as batteries, due to the conductive casing and rapid relaxation of nuclear spins, making it difficult to non-destructively track internal changes and defects within commercial battery designs.

Innovation Solution

The development of Slice Microscopy in Conductors (SMC) method, which exploits the skin effect to selectively excite and detect spins at specific depths within conductors, allowing for depth profiling without external magnetic field gradients, enabling improved resolution and non-destructive characterization of conducting structures like batteries.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional MRI techniques are used to image conducting structures, then the ability to non-destructively track internal changes is improved, but spatial resolution is limited to 20-50 μm due to hardware constraints and rapid spin relaxation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenon-destructive tracking capabilityVSAvoidspatial resolution

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the fundamental parameter used for spatial encoding from magnetic field gradients to radiofrequency field spatial variation. By exploiting the natural exponential decay of RF fields in conductors (skin effect), the method achieves super-resolution without requiring external gradients, pushing resolution beyond the conventional 20-50 μm limit while maintaining non-destructive imaging capability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the mechanical/hardware-based gradient system with a field-based approach. Instead of using external magnetic field gradients (a hardware constraint), the method uses the intrinsic spatial variation of RF fields in conductors, substituting a physical property of the conductor itself for the external imaging apparatus

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Ease of operation

If magnetic field gradients are used for spatial encoding in MRI, then imaging capability is achieved, but resolution is hardware-limited by maximum gradient strength

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveimaging capabilityVSAvoidresolution limit

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent makes the conductor itself serve the dual purpose of both the imaged object and the spatial encoding mechanism. The conductor's own electromagnetic properties (skin effect) provide the spatial variation needed for imaging, eliminating the need for external gradient hardware and achieving resolution limited only by the conductor's material properties rather than machine capabilities

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Difficulty of detecting and measuring

If RF fields are used to excite spins in conducting regions, then magnetic resonance detection is enabled, but signal penetration is limited by skin depth which reduces with increasing frequency

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespin detection capabilityVSAvoideffective penetration depth

Core Design Contradiction:

Difficulty of detecting and measuringVSLength of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent converts the harmful skin effect (which normally limits penetration depth) into a beneficial spatial encoding mechanism. The exponential decay of RF fields, which was previously seen as a limitation for deep imaging, is now exploited to create depth-dependent signal characteristics that enable super-resolution imaging of surface and subsurface regions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

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

SMC achieves resolution exceeding traditional MRI limits, providing detailed depth profiles and internal characteristic measurements of conducting structures, facilitating the diagnosis and analysis of batteries and other conductive materials without damaging them.

Implementation Method 1

Electromagnetic radiation decays exponentially when it enters a conducting region with a characteristic length, called the skin depth, where ν is the frequency of the field, μ the permeability of the conductor and σ its conductivity.

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectSkin effect: Skin Effect

Implementation Method 2

The nuclear or electronic spins present in a conductive region are excited by a frequency. A frequency is then detected from the conducting region.

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectMagnetic resonance: Magnetic Field

Data Source

PatentUS10712297B2Systems and methods for super-resolution surface-layer microscopy using magnetic resonance

Publication Date: 2020.07.14 NEW YORK UNIV

AI summary

A method of probing the layers above, at, and below the surface of a conducting region includes exciting nuclear or electronic spins within the conducting region using a first frequency, receiving a second frequency from the conducting region, determining the length scales by the conductivity of the conducting region, the first frequency, and the second frequency, obtaining a depth profile of the conducting region, and indirectly measuring the presence of the surface by characterizing signal distortions above the surface.