SBIR-STTR Award

Researchers are exploring new technology that can be used to develop a low-cost modular NMR console that can replace any commercially available console and provide up-to-date performance at a cost of less than $ 100,000. RF technology currently used in cellular phone and other consumer product technology is being evaluated in an NMR spectrometer. lni particular, new Frequency Generation and new IF Detection schemes for NMR Observe Unit are being studied in an NMR spectrometer and their performance assessed.The potential commercial application as described by the awardee: This project will provide low-cost NMR spectrometers and low-cost NMR spectrometer upgrades.

RF technology developed for cellular phone and global positioning systems (GPS) was used in a SBIR Phase I project to design and build an amplitude modulator and a frequency synthesizer. Thus, new RF technology was found to be feasible for use in reducing the cost of NMR instrumentation substantially. In SBIR Phase II newly available RF components are used to evaluate, design, and build an NMR console. New audio digital signal processing capabilities will be explored, which are currently available from certain computer manufacturers. The research will enhance the demodulation sections of NMR receivers and lower the number of components (and hence cost) without diminishing performance.