Abstract:
Methods are disclosed for neutralizing weapons carried on a person or in a vehicle. This is accomplished using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance. The information in this abstract is not meant to limit the scope of the claims in any way.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     Prior Art 
     Non-Patent Literature Documents 
       [0001]    Joel B. Miller and Geoffrey A. Barrall, American Scientist, Volume 93 (2005), Pages 50-57,  Explosives Detection with Nuclear Quadrupole Resonance    
         [0002]    Nikolaus M. Loening and James Keeler, Journal of Magnetic Resonance, 159 (2002), Pages 55-61,  Temperature accuracy and temperature gradients in solution - state NMR spectrometers    
         [0003]    Reinhard Wimmer, Gerhard Wider, Journal of Magnetic Resonance, 187 (2007), Pages 184-192,  Real - time imaging of the spatial distribution of rf - heating in NMR samples during broadband decoupling    
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0004]    For simplicity, and conciseness, this detailed description may refer to using only a single magnetic field and single electromagnetic field, and other embodiments that do not fully represent every application of the claims. This is not meant to, in any way, limit the scope of the claims. 
         [0005]    The present invention could be setup so it is like a checkpoint; the magnetic field(s) is underneath, and the electromagnetic field(s) is from the side(s)—like a shoplifter alarm. If the person or vehicle that goes through the checkpoint has any targeted explosives, then they get detonated by how you apply the magnetic and electromagnetic fields. 
         [0006]    Copper is a good example. The average 9 mm cartridge has about 3 grams of copper in it, while the entire human body has about 0.1 grams of copper in it. The primer in cartridges takes about 450 degrees fahrenheit to detonate it. The brass (alloy of copper and zinc) casing is in close contact with the primer. So you need to get the copper to about 450 degrees fahrenheit. You can do this at any speed by varying the magnetic and electromagnetic field(s). If the copper in the human body heats up too much, it can cause damage to a person who does not have any weapon on them. A solution for this, if needed, is to make pauses in between applying the field(s). This allows the copper in the human body to cool down, while the copper in the weapon does not cool down as much since it is more densely packed, and is probably right next to a bunch of other copper-containing cartridges in a clip. You can also very selectively apply the fields so that they detonate any weapon strapped to the person, and carefully not hurt any part of the person&#39;s flesh, unless they have some C4 strapped to them—in that case, the C4 would detonate, if heated sufficiently. You could employ this specific task by using a technology that senses flesh and selectively avoids it, and a technology that detects explosives&#39; locations. Eventually, without harming the human body by the copper present in it, if the person has a weapon, it will discharge, calling much attention to that fact, and at the detriment of the person with the weapon. 
         [0007]    In reference to the prior art, the present invention offers the advantage of not just detecting a weapon, but neutralizing it. Also, it provides a large incentive not to try to sneak weapons through such a checkpoint. Imagine someone running through a checkpoint, or other embodiment of the present invention. The magnetic and electromagnetic field(s) can be made to heat any weapon the enemy may have, to detonation, even if the enemy is sprinting through the checkpoint. 
         [0008]    Let us take an example and work with some admittedly very rough numbers. The enemy has some brass weapon cartridges on his person. It takes him 0.3 seconds to get through the checkpoint. In the prior art, it took experimenters 40 seconds to raise the temperature of a substance by 11.25 degrees fahrenheit. However they were using very low intensity magnetic and electromagnetic fields. By the way, I know that the substance in the prior art paper is not copper, but this will give you a rough idea. First we need the factor in order to get a target material from zero to 450 F. 450 F is the detonation temperature of the primer, for example, lead azide. 450 F divided by 11.25 F=40. The electromagnetic field they used was 1.25 kHz. Please note, the relationship between the magnetic field, the electromagnetic field, and the amount of heating produced for nuclear magnetic resonance is about linear, generally speaking (see prior art). Therefore, we can just concentrate on one and then figure the other ones out. So, let us multiply 1.25 kHz by 40. That equals 50 kHz. So we would need an electromagnetic field at 50 kHz for 40 seconds to reach 450 F. Now we need to figure in the time difference. So, remember it takes 0.3 seconds (the time the running enemy takes to run through the checkpoint). 40 seconds is about 0.3 seconds multiplied by 133. So let us multiply 50 kHz by 133. That equals 6.650 MHz. This is still radio frequency and can penetrate just about anything, including the human body, in case the enemy has the weapon inside himself. So, what is the required magnetic field for all of this? Using the calculator found at http://bio.groups.et.byu.net/LarmourFreqCal.phtml and using the 31P option, we can get some rough numbers. By plugging in various values for T (Tesla) in the calculator, a magnetic field of about 0.386 Tesla would be needed, along with our 6.650 MHz electromagnetic field. 0.386 Tesla is 3860 Gauss. But now we need to think about how tall our enemy is. Let us take an extreme, and say he is 7 feet tall. Magnetic fields fall off at a rate of 1 divided by the distance cubed (1/d̂3). A 7 foot tall person is about 2 meters high. ½̂=0.125. So at the top of the enemy&#39;s head, the magnetic field would be about 12.5% of what it is at his feet. 100% minus 12.5% equals 87.5%. So we need to increase the magnetic field by 87.5%. 3860 Gauss multiplied by 1.875 equals 7237.5 Gauss. So at the top of the enemy&#39;s head, the electromagnetic field would need to be 1.875 multiplied by 6.650 MHz, which equals about 12.47 MHz. Obviously, between the head and feet of the enemy, these figures are going to differ, which brings us to the need for the electromagnetic field to change, as it sweeps the gradient of the magnetic field, since the magnetic field lessens as you get higher from the source of the magnetic field. This sweeping of the gradient means that the electromagnetic field would hit the magnetic field at different intensities depending on how high from the magnetic source. Also the third dimension needs to be taken into account (how far forward or backward; not just up, down, and sideways). 
         [0009]    Obviously, the present invention can be applied to many weapons, simultaneously, including primary and secondary explosives. In addition to checkpoints, the present invention can be used to setup a secure perimeter, whether it be for a full military installation, or a small squad of special forces commandos in a jungle. Any enemy trespassing the perimeter would have all their weapons detonated, neutralizing the threat, and alerting the camp. The magnetic fields could be set at angles, tilted upwards in the air. Then you could have one or more electromagnetic sweepers covering that entrance to the secured perimeter. The present invention could even detonate a grenade thrown towards the camp before it gets too close to injure any personnel by the exploding grenade&#39;s shrapnel. 
         [0010]    In addition to defensive measures, the present invention has offensive capabilities as well. Imagine camouflaging the present invention as rocks or tree stumps. Placed along a path known to be frequented by enemies, or at a critical time of enemy movement, there would be serious consequences for them as all their munitions get detonated, causing much harm to their offensive. Imagine setting up the entrance to a cave in an area of enemy combatants such that when someone traverses the cave&#39;s entrance, if the present invention has been remotely turned on, the enemy entering or exiting the cave would have all of their munitions detonated. Then, turn it off, so that no one knows quite what caused it. Turn it on and off by remote at your will. You could set up the cave, send misinformation to some enemy combatants, such misinformation supposedly from their superiors, and not only have you effectively taken control of the cave, but you will instigate much confusion and mistrust in their ranks. 
         [0011]    The present invention can be camouflaged in a plurality of ways. Such examples include a telephone booth, a portable toilet, a recliner chair, the list goes on and on. One of the beauties of the present invention is that by using camouflage and common sense, it can be made so that no one knows what happened. Such disguised embodiments could be blast and sound proof, so as to not alert anyone what has happened inside. 
         [0012]    Since radio frequencies would be used, the present invention can penetrate almost anything, allowing for numerous options and advantages never before thought possible. There are many explosives that only contain atoms that are in high abundance in the human body and/or vehicles. However, when screening a vehicle, you can heat up the places in the vehicle where no harm or explosion would happen if no explosive is present. As described above, technologies can be used that sense explosives and selectively avoid certain areas. This tactic can be used, for example, on plastic explosives. On the topic of plastic explosives, a blasting cap of some sort is needed. Many blasting caps can be made to detonate using the present invention. In addition, you could “accidentally” detonate the gas tank of a vehicle, with the present invention well concealed and well armored. This would stop the passage of traffic on a road, which could work to your advantage, with people just thinking there must have been something wrong with the vehicle. 
         [0013]    In the cases where you want the present invention to be known to exist by those who are being put through it, it is very important to clearly communicate to them to remove any items that may have the atom(s) you are screening for. For instance, a large group of people surrendering could be kept a long distance away from the present invention. They could be instructed, in their language, to remove certain items from their person via loudspeaker (this can also work with vehicle screening), and then going one at a time through the present invention, to be tested for weapons, and if passed, then received, and detained by soldiers who are also a safe distance away. In order to not harm a person if they are not a threat, the present invention could use fields that have gaps in them in order to minimize the heating of the body. Also, alternating gaps in the fields could be used so that you get uniform heating of the target material. Also, if you do not want to hurt the person you are screening, you could stop when and if you see smoke starting to emanate from their clothes because a targeted weapon is present and heating up. 
         [0014]    The present invention should also be engineered with respect to atmospheric conditions, body temperature, likely weapon temperature ranges, etc. in order to use the correct amount of energy. If there is snow on the ground, then you will need higher intensity fields in order to reach the detonation point of a material compared to those necessary in sunny Hawaii. The information in this detailed description is not meant to, in any way, limit the scope of the claims.