Abstract: A method is disclosed for analyzing composition of a body part from nuclear magnetic resonance measurements made on the body part. The method includes exciting a predetermined sequence of nuclear magnetic resonance phenomena in the body part and measuring nuclear magnetic resonance signals from the body part. At least a part of the measured signals are composed into a measurement vector. The mass of the at least one constituent is determined as a predetermined function of the measurement vector. The predetermined function represents the at least one constituent and defines a standard for a range of at least one of compositional variations and temperature variations of the at least one constituent.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for measuring whole body composition. The method includes confining movement of the body to a selected volume, inducing a static magnetic field in the volume, inducing a pulsed radio frequency magnetic field in the volume, and receiving nuclear magnetic resonance signals from the body. The resonance signals from any part of the body are substantially independent of a position of the body part within the volume. Whole body composition is assessed from the resonance signals.

Abstract: A method for hazardous liquid detection within a container includes inducing a static magnetic field in the container, inducing a radio frequency magnetic field in the container at a frequency selected to excite nuclear magnetic resonance phenomena in liquids; detecting nuclear magnetic resonance signals from the container and analyzing the signals for presence of liquids above a threshold mass.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for analyzing body composition. The method includes inducing a static magnetic field in the body. The static magnetic field has a known distribution along a longitudinal axis of the body. A radio frequency magnetic field is induced in the body. The radio frequency and a bandwidth thereof are selected to induce nuclear magnetic resonance phenomena in a selected axial segment along the body. Nuclear magnetic resonance phenomena are from the selected axial segment. Composition is determined from the magnetic resonance signals. The measurement may be repeated in different axial segments by changing the static field amplitude or a frequency of the RF magnetic field. In some embodiments, a gradient field is superimposed over the static field.

Abstract: A method for analyzing a bone is disclosed. The method includes measuring nuclear magnetic resonance signals corresponding to an amount of hydrogen nuclei from within a selected portion of the bone. The signals measured includes components corresponding to bound water in the bone. Specific bone tissue volume is determined from an amplitude of the components corresponding to the bound water. In one example, the relaxation times are transverse relaxation times determined from CPMG spin echo amplitudes. In one example, the amplitudes are measured using truncated CPMG sequences having waiting time less than the recovery time of slower relaxing components of the bone being analyzed. In one embodiment, the collagen content of the bone is determined by determining a fluid volume from steady state free precession amplitude of the selected portion.