Ultrahigh resolution magnetic resonance imaging method and apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10539633-B2
Application number	US-201415315453-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 18, 2014
Priority date	Jun 3, 2014
Publication date	Jan 21, 2020
Grant date	Jan 21, 2020

Abstract

An ultrahigh resolution magnetic resonance imaging method and apparatus, the method comprises the following steps of: placing a test sample within an action range of a magnetic gradient source and a nano-scale superconducting quantum interference device, applying a static magnetic field on the test sample by a static magnetic source, and applying a nuclear magnetic resonance radio-frequency pulse on the test sample by a radio-frequency source to excite the test sample to cause nuclear magnetic resonance; directly coupling the nano-scale superconducting quantum interference device with the test sample to detect nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum signals generated by the test sample; establishing an image of the test sample according to the detected nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum signals and space distribution information of gradient magnetic fields generated by the magnetic gradient source.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A magnetic resonance imaging method comprising the following steps of:
placing a test sample within an action range of a magnetic gradient source and a nano-scale superconducting quantum interference device, applying a static magnetic field on the test sample by a static magnetic source, and applying a nuclear magnetic resonance radio-frequency pulse on the test sample by a radio-frequency source to excite the test sample to cause nuclear magnetic resonance;
directly coupling the nano-scale superconducting quantum interference device with the test sample to detect nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum signals generated by the test sample by the following steps of:
inputting a predetermined current pulse to the nano-scale superconducting quantum interference device to make it work at an operating point;
coupling the nano-scale superconducting quantum interference device with the test sample to make the nano-scale superconducting quantum interference device a deviation from the operating point as magnetic flux changing;
using a programmable logic circuit to perform a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) feedback logic operation, fixing the nano-scale superconducting quantum interference device back to the operating point by applying a feedback signal on the nano-scale superconducting quantum interference device through a current source controlled feedback circuit; and
obtaining the nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum signals of the test sample by measuring feedback quantity of the feedback circuit; and

establishing an image of the test sample according to the detected nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum signals and space distribution information of gradient magnetic fields generated by the magnetic gradient source.

2. The magnetic resonance imaging method according to claim 1 , characterized in that: the method for exciting the test sample by the radio-frequency source is that: adopting a continuous radio-frequency source and using a mixer or modulator, to combine with a baseband signal to form a combined nuclear magnetic resonance pulse, and generating a radio-frequency magnetic field at a radio-frequency source terminal to excite the test sample.

3. The magnetic resonance imaging method according to claim 1 , characterized in that: position measurement is performed by scanning a frequency of the static magnetic field or the radio-frequency magnetic field, to instantly obtain the nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum signals in a resonance region.

4. The magnetic resonance imaging method according to claim 1 , characterized in that: the magnetic gradient generated by the magnetic gradient source is 0.05˜5 mT/nm.

5. The magnetic resonance imaging method according to claim 1 , characterized in that: a distance between the nano-scale superconducting quantum interference device and the test sample is less than 100 nm.

6. The magnetic resonance imaging method according to claim 1 , characterized in that: the magnetic gradient source is obtained by a current flowing through a nanowire, and the nanowire has a width of 100 nm˜1 μm.

7. The magnetic resonance imaging method according to claim 1 , characterized in that: the magnetic gradient source is a nanomagnet, and the nanomagnet has an end size of 100 nm˜1 μm.

8. The magnetic resonance imaging method according to claim 1 , characterized in that: the magnetic gradient source generates a three-dimensional gradient magnetic field or a two-dimensional gradient magnetic field.

9. A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus comprising:
a static magnetic source, for forming a static magnetic field in a space where the test sample locates;
a radio-frequency source, for exciting the nuclear magnetic resonance of the test sample;
a magnetic gradient source, for forming a gradient magnetic field in the space where the test sample locates;
a detector, which is a nano-scale superconducting quantum interference device, for directly coupling the test sample to detect the nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum signals generated by nuclear spins of the test sample;
an image forming apparatus, for constructing an image of the test sample according to the nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum signals detected by the detector;
wherein, the nano-scale superconducting quantum interference device detects the nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum signals generated by nuclear spins of the test sample by the following steps of:
inputting a predetermined current pulse to the nano-scale superconducting quantum interference device to make it work at an operating point;
coupling the nano-scale superconducting quantum interference device with the test sample to make the nano-scale superconducting quantum interference device a deviation from the operating point as magnetic flux changing;
using a programmable logic circuit to perform a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) feedback logic operation, fixing the nano-scale superconducting quantum interference device back to the operating point by applying a feedback signal on the nano-scale superconducting quantum interference device through a current source controlled feedback circuit; and
obtaining the nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum signals of the test sample by measuring feedback quantity of the feedback circuit.

10. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 9 , characterized in that: the magnetic gradient source is a nanowire or nanomagnet.

11. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 10 , characterized in that: the magnetic gradient source is a nanowire; the magnetic gradient source, the radio-frequency source and the detector are integrated on a same chip.

12. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 9 , characterized in that: a superconducting ring of the nano-scale superconducting quantum interference device has an area less than 1 μm 2 .

13. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 9 , characterized in that: the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus has a resolution of 1˜100 nm.

14. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to claim 9 , characterized in that: the coupling distance between the detector and the test sample is less than 100 nm.

15. The magnetic resonance imaging method according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined current pulse which makes the nano-scale superconducting quantum interference device to work at the operating point is determined by the following steps of:
inputting a set number of bias current pulses,
counting a number the switching voltage pulses,
calculating the switching probability,
the current pulses with a switching probability of 50% is the predetermined current pulse.

Assignees

• Shanghai Inst Microsystem & Information Tech Cas

Inventors

• Chen Lei
• Wang Zhen
• Xie Xiaoming
• Jiang Mianheng

Classifications

• G01R33/445

  MR involving a non-standard magnetic field B0, e.g. of low magnitude as in the earth's magnetic field or in nanoTesla spectroscopy, comprising a polarizing magnetic field for pre-polarisation, B0 with a temporal variation of its magnitude or direction such as field cycling of B0 or rotation of the direction of B0, or spatially inhomogeneous B0 like in fringe-field MR or in stray-field imaging · CPC title

• A61B2560/0223

  of calibration, e.g. protocols for calibrating sensors · CPC title

• G01R33/326 Primary

  involving a SQUID · CPC title

• A61B5/055

  involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging · CPC title

• G01N24/08

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