Handheld NMR Systems and Their Applications for Biomolecular Sensing

We have developed a miniature nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) system. By combining the physics of NMR with CMOS radio-frequency ICs, we developed a 0.1-kg palm NMR system that is 1,200 times smaller, 1,200 times lighter, and yet 150 times more spin-mass sensitive than a state-of-the-art 120-kg commercial benchtop system. The small NMR system can be used for disease detection and medical diagnostics. It was demonstrated capable of detecting human cancer cells and cancer marker proteins.