Single-shot profile NMR-MOUSE®

The strong stray field gradient of open sensors limits the maximum thickness of the sensitive slice that can be excited to a fraction of a millimeter, requiring repositioning/retuning to scan large depth ranges into the sample [1]. A thicker sensitive volume can be excited only by reducing the magnetic field gradient along the depth. The single-shot profile NMR-MOUSE uses new shimming technology to strongly reduce of the magnetic field gradient along the depth direction achieving simultaneously efficient control of the lateral field gradients responsible of deterioration of the achievable spatial resolution. The increment in the thickness of the sensitive volume eliminates the need for repositioning the sensor with respect to the object to cover the whole depth range, and allows to acquire a full profile across several millimeters in a single shot, considerably reducing the experimental time  

The ssPM4 profile NMR-MOUSE® has been customized to achieve a spatial resolution of 50 µm over a slice thickness of 4 mm and in a lateral spot of 20x20 mm. The magnet generates a magnetic field strength of 0.25 T, corresponding to a resonance frequency for protons of about 11 MHz. The high sensitivity obtained thanks to the small gradient of 1 T/m and the relatively large lateral size of the sensitive volume allows one to acquire profiles across the slice in few scans. This magnet is extremely convenient in applications where the sample varies its structure with the time in a relatively fast time scale. The low gradient strength is convenient when liquid like samples are to be studied.