NMR measurement cell and NMR measurement assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10365236-B2
Application number	US-201514971045-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 16, 2015
Priority date	Dec 19, 2014
Publication date	Jul 30, 2019
Grant date	Jul 30, 2019

Abstract

There is provided a Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) measurement cell for use with a solution enabling the introduction of a gas into said solution. The measurement cell includes at least a detection volume designed to be installed in a static magnetic field of an NMR spectrometer, and includes in said detection volume, a gas introduction zone, a measurement chamber for the solution at a distance from the gas introduction zone and a network of conduits for the solution formed to set up fluid communication between the gas introduction zone and the measurement chamber. The gas introduction zone includes at least one gas inlet in the network of conduits, to generate bubbles in the gas introduction zone only. There is also provided a method of manufacturing such a measurement cell and a measurement assembly including such a measurement cell.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) measurement cell in solution enabling the introduction of a gas into said solution, the measurement cell being designed to be placed in a static magnetic field such as the field of an NMR spectrometer, and comprising:
at least one measurement chamber of the solution in which a radiofrequency electromagnetic field will be applied and/or measured,
a network of conduits including a gas introduction zone, the gas introduction zone comprising a gas inlet to generate bubbles only in the gas introduction zone, the network of conduits forming a closed loop circuit for circulation of the solution between the measurement chamber and the gas introduction zone, the gas inlet being arranged so as to set up circulation of the solution in the network of conduits between the gas introduction zone and the measurement chamber, the measurement chamber comprising a conduit in the network of conduits called the measurement conduit, and
a radiofrequency system arranged to apply and/or detect a radiofrequency electromagnetic field in the measurement conduit.

2. Measurement cell according to claim 1 , in which the gas introduction zone also comprises a gas outlet in fluidic communication with the network of conduits in a part of the network of conduits that is configured to be empty of the solution when the measurement cell is filled with the solution.

3. Measurement cell according to claim 2 , in which the measurement chamber is configured such that a ratio between a circulation distance of the solution from the measurement chamber to the gas inlet and a circulation distance from the gas outlet to the measurement chamber in conduit circuit of the measurement chamber is less than 1.

4. Measurement cell according to claim 2 , in which the measurement cell comprises a base for installation in an NMR spectrometer defining a base plane, and in which the gas introduction zone comprises a gas introduction conduit, in the network of conduits, that extends transverse or approximately perpendicular to the base plane, the gas inlet being located in the gas introduction conduit closer to the base than the gas outlet.

5. Measurement cell according to claim 4 comprising a gas conveyance conduit in the gas introduction conduit, a first end of the gas conveyance conduit opens up into the gas introduction conduit and forms the gas inlet.

6. Measurement cell according to claim 4 , in which the gas introduction conduit opens up into a gas extraction area of which a first part delimits a conduit in the network of conduits and a second part is outside of the solution, the gas outlet being located in said second part.

7. Measurement cell according to claim 1 comprising a casing made in two portions, a first portion forming a base for installation of the measurement cell in an NMR spectrometer and in which the measurement chamber is formed, and a second portion comprising the gas introduction zone, said first and second portions having complementary shapes such that the network of conduits is formed by the assembly of the first and the second portion.

8. Measurement cell according to claim 7 , in which the first portion comprises a first and a second element, the first element forming an external casing of the first portion, the second element comprising the measurement chamber and the radiofrequency system.

9. Measurement cell according to claim 1 also comprising a filtration system in the gas introduction zone formed in the network of conduits to intercept gas bubbles at an outlet from the gas introduction zone along a direction of circulation of the solution.

10. Measurement cell according to claim 9 in which the filtration system comprises a filtration grid with a mesh size smaller than 1 mm.

11. A Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) measurement cell in solution enabling the introduction of a gas into said solution, the measurement cell being designed to be placed in a static magnetic field such as the field of an NMR spectrometer, and comprising:
a base for installation in an NMR spectrometer defining a base plane,
at least two conduits, a first conduit called a gas introduction conduit, and a second conduit, both extending transversally to the base plane, the gas introduction conduit comprising a gas inlet to form bubbles in the first conduit and thus form a gas introduction zone,
at least a third and a fourth conduit connecting the first and second conduits at their ends located close to the base and at a distance from the base respectively, so as to form a network of conduits, the network of conduits forming a closed loop circulation circuit for the solution between a measurement chamber and the gas introduction zone, and
a radiofrequency system formed in the measurement chamber to apply and/or detect a radiofrequency electromagnetic field in a portion of the third conduit.

12. A method of manufacturing a measurement cell, comprising:
providing a radiofrequency system;
providing a conduit in which measurement will be made, to form a measurement conduit;
positioning the radiofrequency system relative to the measurement conduit such that the radiofrequency system can apply and/or detect a radiofrequency electromagnetic field in the measurement conduit so as to form a measurement chamber;
providing additional conduits to form a network of conduits with the measurement conduit, the additional conduits comprising a gas introduction zone comprising a gas inlet to generate bubbles only in the gas introduction zone; and
forming the measurement cell by assembling the additional conduits with an assembly formed during positioning of the radiofrequency system relative to the measurement conduit, the network of conduits forming a closed loop circuit for circulation of solution between the measurement chamber and the gas introduction zone, the gas inlet being arranged so as to set up circulation of the solution in the network of conduits between the gas introduction zone and the measurement chamber.

13. Manufacturing method according to claim 12 in which:
the providing the additional conduits to form the network of conduits with the measurement conduit comprises providing the network of conduits, excluding a conduit inside the measurement chamber, the gas inlet being formed in said network of conduits, said additional conduits forming a first element,
the positioning the radiofrequency system relative to the measurement conduit comprises forming a second element including the conduit inside the measurement chamber and a radiofrequency system capable of generating and/or measuring a radiofrequency field,
the forming the measurement cell comprises assembling the first element including the network of conduits, excluding the conduit inside the measurement chamber, with the second element including the conduit inside the measurement chamber.

14. A Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) measurement assembly for use with a solution comprising:
an NMR spectrometer configured to generate a first static magnetic field;
an NMR measurement cell in solution;
a gas introduction system; and
the NMR measurement cell being a cell according to claim 1 with its gas inlet connected to the gas introduction system.

Assignees

• Commissariat Energie Atomique
• Comissariat A Lenergie Atomique Et Aux Energies Alternatives

Inventors

• Causier Alexandre
• Berthault Patrick
• Berthelot Thomas
• Carret Guillaume

Classifications

• G01N24/08 Primary

  by using nuclear magnetic resonance (G01N24/12 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01R33/0052

  Manufacturing aspects; Manufacturing of single devices, i.e. of semiconductor magnetic sensor chips (devices based on galvano-magnetic effect or the like H10N50/85) · CPC title

• G01R33/46

  NMR spectroscopy · CPC title

• G01R33/30

  Sample handling arrangements, e.g. sample cells, spinning mechanisms · CPC title

• G01R33/282

  Means specially adapted for hyperpolarisation or for hyperpolarised contrast agents, e.g. for the generation of hyperpolarised gases using optical pumping cells, for storing hyperpolarised contrast agents or for the determination of the polarisation of a hyperpolarised contrast agent · CPC title