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Problem
Conventional NMR spectrometers are large and utilize superconducting magnets operating at liquid helium temperatures. This precludes their use in many situations where NMR would be beneficial. Benchtop NMR spectrometers are currently available operating in the 60 MHz range. However, they often lack the desired sensitivity. Our device eliminates these issues.
Our invention provides a new modality for high-prevision ‘J spectroscopy’ using small samples on microchip devices for multiplexed screening, assaying, and sample identification in chemistry and biomedicine.
Invention
Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is a powerful tool for determining molecular structure and properties. Our invention provides for the direct detection of hetero- and homonuclear scalar coupling in a zero-field or low-field environment using an optical atomic magnetometer. It provides NMR without the use of any magnets by using parahydrogen-induced polarization and a high-sensitivity atomic magnetometer with a microfabricated vapor cell.
Potential Commercial Applications
- It does not require superconducting magnets or cryogenics to enable high-resolution two-dimensional spectroscopy. The technology utilizes an atomic magnetometer instead of RF coils to directly sense a polarized sample’s magnetic field and provides the desired sensitivity with small sample assays.
- It can be used widely in pure research environments:
- Industry
- Pharmaceutical drug discovery
- Chemical production
- Security monitoring applications
Competitive Advantage
The use of atomic magnetometers greatly improved sensitivity compared to inductive detection at low or zero fields because they sense the magnetic field directly, rather than the time derivative of flux through a pickup coil.
Furthermore, in contrast to superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs), atomic magnetometers do not require cryogenics. Operation at zero field eliminates the chemical shift but retains substantial analytical information in simplified spectra by both heteronuclear and homonuclear scalar couplings.
- Does not require superconducting magnets or cryogenics to enable high-resolution two-dimensional spectroscopy
- Direct detection of hetero- and homonuclear scalar coupling in a zero-field environment or a low-field environment using an optical atomic magnetometer
- Operation at zero field eliminates the chemical shift but retains substantial analytical information in simplified spectra by both heteronuclear and homonuclear scalar couplings
- Variety of applications
Partnerships
Potential partners include instrument manufacturers of NMR detectors used in the pharmaceutical and biomedical industries as well as national defense and homeland security programs. The NIST device can be widely applied in industry whenever trace amounts of chemical are being analyzed. For example, the pharmaceutical industry could use large arrays of these devices to perform parallel assays of a set of new trial drugs.