Student Conference Proceedings
Vol. 2 No. 1 (2026): Stud Conf Proc
https://doi.org/10.18416/SCP.2026.2667
Development and Implementation of the Analog Electronics for a 20 MHz Pulsed NMR Spectrometer
Main Article Content
Copyright (c) 2026 Ina Barnekow; Lemuel Jesse Koomson, Alia Hassan Choudhury, Jörg Schroeter, Max Christoph Urban
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Abstract
Low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) systems offer a cost-effective alternative to high-field devices for medical point-of-care applications but result in lower resolution. This makes it more important to care for precise excitation and high-resolution amplifiers to detect weaker signals. This project addresses the development of the analog hardware of a portable 20MHz pulsed NMR spectrometer for hemoglobin analysis. Components for the proton spin excitation and receiving chain were chosen, including high-resolution low-noise amplifiers. A duplexer and probe were modified, frequency tuning and impedance matching were performed and the overall system was tested. The excitation chain successfully delivered sufficient energy to excite protons, and weak signals in
the ?V range could be amplified. However, tests have not shown a free induction decay yet. The results highlight key limitations of the current setup and demonstrate the need for improved excitation–receiving separation and enhanced amplification, providing a foundation for further optimization.