Nanowire characterization and identification

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019102585-A1
Application number	US-201816151206-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 3, 2018
Priority date	Oct 3, 2017
Publication date	Apr 4, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

The techniques and systems described herein relate to manufacturing, characterizing, and/or identifying one or more types of magnetic nanowires (MNWs). One or more types of MNWs may be associated with different objects, and a system may identify the objects based on the magnetic nanowires associated with the objects. For example, such techniques may involve characterizing the types of MNWs based on magnetic field transmission characteristics and ferromagnetic resonance characteristics of each type of MNW. In some examples, the techniques described herein may enable the identification of each of a plurality of types of MNWs present in a sample or object based on a combined transmission value of the sample. Such techniques may enable the development and use of barcode-like systems of different types of MNWs for labeling and identifying objects of interest.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method comprising:
determining a magnetic field transmission characteristic corresponding to each type of magnetic nanowire (MNW) of a plurality of types of MNWs; determining a ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) characteristic of each type of MNW of the plurality of types of MNWs, wherein each type of MNW has an FMR characteristic that differs from an FMR characteristic of each other type of MNW of the plurality of types of MNWs; identifying each type of MNW of the plurality of types of MNWs based on the corresponding magnetic field transmission characteristic and the corresponding FMR characteristic; and associating each type of MNW of the plurality of MNWs with a corresponding object of a plurality of objects, wherein each object differs from at least one other object of the plurality of objects.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the composition of each type of MNW of the plurality of types of MNWs comprises at least one of cobalt, iron, nickel, copper, or gold.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one type of MNW of the plurality of MNW comprises a plurality of segments, wherein a first segment of the plurality of segments comprises a first material being ferromagnetic and a second segment of the plurality of segments comprises a second material different from the first material.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the first segment and the second segment are adjacent to one another.

5 . The method of claim 3 , wherein at least two segments of the plurality of segments have different dimensions.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the FMR characteristic of each type of MNW of the plurality of types of MNWs comprises, for each type of MNW:
applying a magnetic field to the type of MNW; directing a first radio frequency signal to the type of MNW while the type of MNW is subject to the magnetic field; detecting a second radio frequency signal resulting from the first radio frequency signal passing by the type of MNW, wherein a difference between the first radio frequency signal and the second radio frequency signal corresponds to a radio frequency absorption of the type of MNW; identifying at least one of a strength of the magnetic field or a frequency of the first radio frequency signal at which the radio frequency absorption of the type of MNW satisfies a threshold absorption value that corresponds to FMR of the type of MNW; and determining the FMR characteristic of the type of MNW as being the at least one of the strength of the magnetic field or the frequency of the first radio frequency signal that corresponds to the FMR of the type of MNW.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the strength of the magnetic field or the frequency of the first radio frequency signal at which the radio frequency absorption of the type of MNW satisfies the threshold absorption value is a first strength of the magnetic field or a first frequency of the first radio frequency signal, the method further comprising:
identifying at least one of a second strength of the magnetic field or a second frequency of the first radio frequency signal at which the radio frequency absorption of the type of MNW satisfies the threshold absorption value; and determining the FMR characteristic of the type of MNW as further being the at least one of the second strength of the magnetic field or the second frequency of the first radio frequency signal that corresponds to the FMR of the type of MNW.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
manufacturing the plurality of types of MNWs, wherein at least one of a composition or a dimension of each type of MNW of the plurality of types of MNWs differs from at least one of a composition or a dimension of each other type of MNW of the plurality of types of MNWs.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of a composition or a dimension of each type of MNW of the plurality of types of MNWs differs from at least one of a composition or a dimension of each other type of MNW of the plurality of types of MNWs.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein an object of the plurality of objects comprises one of an article of manufacture or a chemical composition, and wherein associating a type of MNW of the plurality of MNWs with the object comprises incorporating the type of MNW into a material of the one of the article of manufacture or the chemical composition or attaching the type of MNW to the one of the article of manufacture or the chemical composition.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein an object of the plurality of objects comprises an organism, and wherein associating a type of MNW of the plurality of MNWs with the object comprises introducing the type of MNW into the organism or attaching the type of MNW to the organism.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the type of MNW of the plurality of types of MNWs comprises a core of a ferromagnetic material and a biocompatible coating disposed at least partially external from the core.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the type of MNW of the plurality of types of MNWs further comprises a biologically-active compound attached to an outer surface of the biocompatible coating, and wherein the biologically-active compound is configured to biochemically interact with a selected cell type within the organism.

14 . A system comprising:
a memory; and processing circuitry configured to:
receive, from a remote computer, data representative of a magnetic field transmission characteristic corresponding to each type of magnetic nanowire (MNW) of a plurality of types of MNWs;
receive, from the remote computer, data representative of a ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) characteristic of each type of MNW of the plurality of types of MNWs, wherein each type of MNW has an FMR characteristic that differs from an FMR characteristic of each other type of MNW of the plurality of types of MNWs;
identify each type of MNW of the plurality of types of MNWs based on the corresponding magnetic field transmission characteristic and the corresponding FMR characteristic; and
associate, in the memory, each type of MNW of the plurality of MNWs with a corresponding object of a plurality of objects, wherein each object differs from at least one other object of the plurality of objects.

15 . The system of claim 14 , further comprising:
an electromagnet configured to, for each type of MNW of the plurality of MNWs, apply a magnetic field to the type of MNW; and a vector network analyzer (VNA) configured to, for each type of MNW of the plurality of MNWs, direct a first radio frequency signal to the type of MNW while the type of MNW is subject to the magnetic field, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to determine the FMR characteristic of each type of MNW of the plurality of MNWs by at least, for each type of MNW:
receiving, from the remote computer, data representative of a second radio frequency signal resulting from the first radio frequency signal passing by the type of MNW, wherein a difference between the first radio frequency signal and the second radio frequency signal corresponds to a radio frequency absorption of the type of MNW;
identifying at least one of a strength of the magnetic field or a frequency of the first radio frequency signal at which the radio frequency absorption of the type of MNW satisfies a threshold absorption value that corresponds to FMR of the type of MNW; and
determining the FMR characteristic of the type of MNW as being the at least one of the strength of the magnetic field or the frequency of the first radio frequency signal that corresponds to the FMR of the typ

Assignees

• Univ Minnesota

Inventors

• Modiano Jaime F
• Stadler Bethanie J
• Franklin Rhonda R
• Zhou Wen

Classifications

• G06K7/10366 Primary

  the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications · CPC title

• G06K19/06187

  with magnetically detectable marking · CPC title

• H01Q1/14

  for wire or other non-rigid radiating elements · CPC title

• G01N33/587

  Nanoparticles · CPC title

• H01Q1/38 Primary

  formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support {(patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface  H01Q15/142)} · CPC title