Patents by Inventor Alun Lucas

Alun Lucas has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20080100293
    Abstract: A method of carrying out DNP on a sample with a molecular structure containing at least two J-coupled non-integer spin nuclear species, the method comprising hyperpolarizing the sample in a cooled, solid form while it is exposed to a homogeneous magnetic field of suitable strength; dissolving or melting the hyperpolarized sample; subjecting the sample to a polarization holding RF pulse sequence while the sample is exposed to a suitably homogeneous magnetic field of sufficient strength to ensure the spin's chemical shift is greater than the J-coupling, the pulse sequence causing the nuclear spin populations in the sample to be re-distributed between a plurality of energy levels in a non-equilibrium manner; and then, following a time less than the T1, relaxation time constant of the molecular species, causing the nuclear spin populations to transfer adiabatically to stable, equilibrium levels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2005
    Publication date: May 1, 2008
    Inventors: Alun Lucas, Robert Slade
  • Patent number: 6466013
    Abstract: A pulsed NMR tool has a magnet arrangement that is used to generate a static magnetic field having a substantially uniform field strength in a region of the formation surrounding the borehole. An RF coil is used to produce pulsed RF fields substantially orthogonal to the static field in the region of examination. The nuclear spins in the formation align themselves along the externally applied static magnetic field. A pulsed RF field is applied to tip the spins into the transverse plane, resulting in a precession of the spins. The tipping pulse is followed by a series of refocusing pulses and the resulting series of pulse echoes is detected. The timing and duration of RF pulses are altered from conventional CPMG to maximize signal and minimize RF power consumption. An additional forced recovery pulse at the end of an echo train may be used to speed up the acquisition and/or provide a signal for cancelling the ringing artefact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2002
    Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated
    Inventors: Robert Hawkes, Robert Slade, Alun Lucas
  • Patent number: 6459263
    Abstract: A pulsed NMR tool has a magnet arrangement that is used to generate a static magnetic field having a substantially uniform field strength in a region of the formation surrounding the borehole. An RF coil is used to produce pulsed RF fields orthogonal to the static field in the region of examination. The nuclear spins in the formation align themselves along the externally applied static magnetic field. A pulsed RF field is applied to tip the spins by 90°, resulting in a precession of the spins. The tipping pulse is followed by a series of refocusing pulses and the resulting series of pulse echoes is detected. Motion sensors on the tool produce signals indicative of the motion of the tool and a processor on the tool controls the timing of the tipping pulse to coincide with substantially zero motion of the tool in an axial direction or one perpendicular to the axial direction. A Kalman filter or other predictive filter is used to predict the desirable pulse triggering times.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2002
    Assignees: Baker Hughes Incorporated, Oxford Instruments Superconductivity Ltd.
    Inventors: Robert Hawkes, Robert Slade, Alun Lucas
  • Publication number: 20010043066
    Abstract: A pulsed NMR tool has a magnet arrangement that is used to generate a static magnetic field having a substantially uniform field strength in a region of the formation surrounding the borehole. An RF coil is used to produce pulsed RF fields orthogonal to the static field in the region of examination. The nuclear spins in the formation align themselves along the externally applied static magnetic field. A pulsed RF field is applied to tip the spins by 90°, resulting in a precession of the spins. The tipping pulse is followed by a series of refocusing pulses and the resulting series of pulse echoes is detected. Motion sensors on the tool produce signals indicative of the motion of the tool and a processor on the tool controls the timing of the tipping pulse to coincide with substantially zero motion of the tool in an axial direction or one perpendicular to the axial direction. A Kalman filter or other predictive filter is used to predict the desirable pulse triggering times.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2001
    Publication date: November 22, 2001
    Inventors: Robert Hawkes, Robert Slade, Alun Lucas