Biomedical subjects

Andrew G Webb

Publications and source records attributed to Andrew G Webb.

22 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed2002

NMR detection with multiple solenoidal microcoils for continuous-flow capillary electrophoresis.

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy represents a promising on-line detector for capillary electrophoresis (CE). The inherent poor sensitivity of NMR mandates the use of NMR probes with the highest mass sensitivity, such as those containing solenoidal microcoils, for CE/NMR hyphenation. However, electrophoretic current degrades the resolution of NMR spectra obtained from solenoidal coils. A new method to avoid microcoil NMR spectral degradation during continuous-flow CE is demonstrated using a unique multiple solenoidal coil NMR probe. The electrophoretic flow from a single separation capillary is split into multiple outlets, each possessing its own NMR detection coil. While the CE electrophoretic flow is directed through one outlet, stopped-flow, high-resolution NMR spectra are obtained from the coil at the other outlet. The electrophoretic flow and NMR measurements are cycled between the outlets to allow a continuous CE separation with "stopped-flow" detection. As a new approach for improving multiple coil probe performance, the magnetic field homogeneity is automatically adjusted (via the shim coils of the magnet) for the active coil. The multiple microcoil CE/NMR coupling has been used to analyze a <3 nmole mixture of amines while obtaining between 1 and 2 Hz line width, demonstrating the ability to avoid electrophoretic current-induced line broadening.

Electrophoresis, Capillary↗

PubMed2002

On-line temperature monitoring in a capillary electrochromatography frit using microcoil NMR.

A new nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy probe has been designed to measure the temperature of the water inside a capillary. The probe provides the ability to measure the temperature in a several hundred micrometer long capillary section, corresponding to liquid volumes in the picoliter to nanoliter range with a temperature monitoring accuracy of 0.2 degrees C. The NMR probe is based on a novel two-turn vertical solenoidal design, and its performance for capillary-scale temperature measurements is characterized. The temperature rise in a chromatographic frit of the type used in capillary electrochromatography is measured as a function of applied power, and temperature rises of more than 50 degrees C are observed. The temperature of the electrolyte cools rapidly after exiting the frit and can be followed as a function of distance from the frit. The ability to accurately monitor the temperature of water as it moves through porous materials such as packed chromatographic beds and frits is important to allow the effects of temperature on CEC separation performance to be determined.

Chromatography↗

PubMed2002

A magnetic resonance imaging study of dense nonaqueous phase liquid dissolution from angular porous media.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to determine the effects of pore-scale heterogeneity on the dissolution of a nonaqueous phase liquid (NAPL) in water-saturated flow-through columns (1.2 cm in diameter) packed with either approximately 500 or approximately 1,000 micron diameter angular silica gel (referred to as SG500 and SG1000, respectively). Columns were contaminated with 1,3,5-trifluorobenzene at residual saturation and then purged with water at a constant Darcy velocity of 1.83 m/day. Three-dimensional 19F images were acquired every 2-5 h at an imaging resolution of 59 x 234 x 234 microm3. Imaging results show that the specific NAPL surface area (a(t)) is linearly related to the NAPL volumetric fraction (theta(n)) and that the constant of proportionality between these parameters is determined by the blob size and geometry distribution. Overall (expressed as the modified Sherwood number, Sh') and intrinsic (expressed as the apparent Sherwood number, Sh(apt)) mass transfer rate coefficients were calculated. Values of Sh' and Sh(apt) for SG500 were approximately three times less than those for SG1000. For both solids, Sh' first increased or stayed the same and then decreased with decreasing theta(n), while Shapt generally increased with decreasing theta(n). These results suggest that during dissolution new flow paths were created (i.e., bypass zones were eliminated) as NAPL dissolved, decreasing the fraction of NAPL-water interfaces adjacent to pores filled with stagnant water and the average diffusion length scale. Since at for SG500 was dominated by less spherical multipore blobs (as opposed to more spherical singlets for SG1000), these results also suggest that the extent of flow bypassing (and the average diffusion length scale) increases in systems with more irregular blobs. These results are important because Sh' correlations and a "sphere" dissolution model do not account for transient changes in the fraction of NAPL surface area that contributes to dissolution or for the effect of initial blob size and geometry distribution on this fraction.

Environmental Monitoring↗

PubMed2002

Optimization of electromagnetic phased-arrays for hyperthermia via magnetic resonance temperature estimation.

A technique for the optimization of electromagnetic annular phased arrays (APAs) for therapeutic hyperthermia has been developed and implemented. The controllable inputs are the amplitudes and phases of the driving signals of each element of the array. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is used to estimate noninvasively the temperature distribution based on the temperature dependence of the proton resonance frequency (PRF). A parametric model of the dynamics that couple the control inputs to the resultant temperature elevations is developed based on physical considerations. The unknown parameters of this model are estimated during a pretreatment identification phase and can be continuously updated as new measurement data become available. Based on the parametric model, a controller automatically chooses optimal phases and amplitudes of the driving signals of the APA. An advantage of this approach to optimizing the APA is that no a priori information is required, eliminating the need for patient-specific computational modeling and optimization. Additionally, this approach represents a first step toward employing temperature feedback to make the optimization of the APA robust with respect to modeling errors and physiological changes. The ability of the controller to choose therapeutically beneficial driving amplitudes and phases is demonstrated via simulation. Experimental results are presented which demonstrate the ability of the controller to choose optimal phases for the APA using only information from magnetic resonance thermometry (MRT).

Computer Simulation↗