Biosensor, palm-sized device and method based on magnetic resonance relaxometry

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10429467-B2
Application number	US-201414497233-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 25, 2014
Priority date	Feb 28, 2011
Publication date	Oct 1, 2019
Grant date	Oct 1, 2019

Abstract

In accordance with one aspect of this disclosure, there is provided a device for performing magnetic resonance relaxometry. The device comprises a radio-frequency spectrometer comprising at least one field-programmable gate array chip; a power amplifier electrically connected with the radio-frequency spectrometer and amplifying an electrical output of the radio-frequency spectrometer, thereby producing an amplified electrical signal comprising between about 0.1 Watts and about 10 Watts power; a duplexer configured to isolate the radio-frequency spectrometer from the amplified electrical signal during a receiving mode of the device; a radio-frequency detection probe configured to transmit radio-frequency electromagnetic radiation to excite nuclei under resonance during a transmission mode of the device, the radio-frequency detection probe comprising a detection coil comprising an inner diameter of less than about 1 millimeter; and at least one magnet supplying an external magnetic field to a detection region of the radio-frequency detection probe, the external magnetic field being less than about 3 Tesla.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device for performing magnetic resonance relaxometry, the device comprising:
a radio-frequency spectrometer comprising at least one field programmable gate array chip;
a power amplifier electrically connected with the radio-frequency spectrometer and amplifying an electrical output of the radio-frequency spectrometer, thereby producing an amplified electrical signal comprising between about 0.1 Watts and about 10 Watts power;
a duplexer configured to isolate the radio-frequency spectrometer from the amplified electrical signal during a receiving mode of the device wherein the duplexer comprises a passive duplexer without a quarter wavelength transmission cable;
a radio-frequency detection probe configured to transmit radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation to excite nuclei under resonance during a transmission mode of the device, the radio-frequency detection probe comprising a detection microcoil comprising an inner diameter of less than about 1 millimeter; and
at least one magnet supplying an external magnetic field to a detection region of the radio-frequency detection probe, the external magnetic field being less than about 3 Tesla.

2. A device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one magnet comprises at least two permanent magnets separated by a gap of less than about 5 millimeters.

3. A device according to claim 1 , wherein the device weighs less than about 0.5 kilograms.

4. A device according to claim 1 , wherein the radio-frequency spectrometer, power amplifier and the at least one magnet are mounted on a single circuit board of less than about 500 square centimeters size.

5. A device according to claim 1 , wherein the radio-frequency spectrometer comprises a pulse programmer, a direct digital synthesis module, the transmitter and a receiver.

6. A device according to claim 1 , wherein the power amplifier comprises at least one surface mount power amplifier module and is mounted on a single circuit board of less than about 20 square centimeter area.

7. A device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one magnet fits within a volume of less than about 30 cubic centimeters.

8. A device according to claim 1 , the passive duplexer comprising: a chip inductor in parallel with a fixed capacitor that is in series with a pair of crossed diodes; a trimmer capacitor in series with the parallel combination of the chip inductor, fixed capacitor and pair of crossed diodes; and at least one surface mount radio frequency switch diode.

9. A device according to claim 1 , wherein the device is configured to receive a centrifuge tube, which same centrifuge tube is configured to be received in a centrifuge.

10. A device according to claim 1 , further comprising a centrifuge tube, at least a portion of the centrifuge tube being inserted into the detection region of the radio-frequency detection probe.

11. A device according to claim 10 , wherein the centrifuge tube comprises an outside diameter of less than about 1 millimeter, the centrifuge tube comprising a blood sample including blood from an animal body.

12. A device according to claim 1 , wherein the device is configured to perform at least one of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI).

13. A device according to claim 1 , further comprising a sample comprising a micro-organism, at least a portion of the sample being inserted into the detection region of the radio-frequency detection probe.

14. A device according to claim 1 , further comprising an item to be imaged, at least a portion of the item to be imaged being inserted into the detection region of the radio-frequency detection probe.

15. A device according to claim 1 , further comprising a biological sample, at least a portion of the biological sample being inserted into the detection region of the radio-frequency detection probe.

16. A device according to claim 15 , wherein the biological sample is capable of producing an indication of a stress level on a biological organism through magnetic resonance.

17. A device according to claim 15 , wherein the biological sample comprises a biomarker of a disease, the biomarker being detectable by magnetic resonance.

Assignees

• Massachusetts Inst Technology
• Chen Lan
• Univ Nanyang Tech

Inventors

• Peng Weng Kung
• Han Jongyoon
• Chen Lan

Classifications

• G01R33/50

  based on the determination of relaxation times {, e.g. T1 measurement by IR sequences; T2 measurement by multiple-echo sequences} · CPC title

• G01R33/465

  applied to biological material, e.g. in vitro testing · CPC title

• G01N24/08

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

• G01R33/546

  Interface between the MR system and the user, e.g. for controlling the operation of the MR system or for the design of pulse sequences · CPC title

• G01R33/383

  using permanent magnets · CPC title