Nuclear Quadrupole Resonance
Nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) is based on the splitting of nuclear energy levels of quadrupolar nuclei, those with nuclear spin 𝐼 ≥ 1, by the electric field gradient (EFG) tensor of at their chemical site within a molecule. The energy difference, Δ𝐸, between resulting nuclear spin-states governs the resonant frequencies of the nucleus. This intrinsic link to the chemical environment is what gives NQR is specificity. Nitrogen-14, a common target nucleus in NQR due to its natural abundance and prevalence in organic chemistry, provides a good example of the quadrupole interaction. As stated previously, the splitting of 14N energy levels is governed by the EFG tensor at the site of the nucleus, described by its principal values, |𝑉xx| ≤ |𝑉yy| ≤ |𝑉zz|, and asymmetry parameter, 𝜂 = (𝑉xx − 𝑉yy) ⁄ 𝑉zz, as well as its related quadrupole coupling constant, 𝐶𝑞 = 𝑒𝑄𝑉zz⁄h where 𝑒𝑄 is the nuclear electric quadrupole moment and h is the reduced Planck’s constant. The resulting energy levels are given by…
Production
We have demonstrated (POP) Proof of Principal with the ability to:
Read through a bottle that is labeled, capped, w/desiccant, w/cotton
Device read time < 5 sec per bottle
Library of algorithms built
Device could discern how many pills were in a bottle
Device could discern Brand from Generic
Device could discern Counterfeit from Real
Device could monitor degradation in Real time
Device could spot an odd pill in bottle of up to 300 pills