LIQUID HELIUM RECONDENSER TO REDUCE MRI OPERATING COST

描述(申请人摘要逐字)：高场超强的冷却 导电磁体增加了MRI运营成本的一个额外组成部分： 补充不断流失的液氦制冷剂的成本 煮熟了。切萨皮克低温公司提议建造一种再冷凝器 液化氦气，使其能够重复使用，从而降低总排放量 核磁共振的运营成本。再冷凝器大量借用了一种新的、获得专利的 被称为BOREAS循环的制冷方案。以及使用经过验证的 制冷循环和组件，以实现其在4K下2瓦的目标。它的 优点包括低振动，能够移动大部分机械装置 距离核磁共振设备最远60英尺，耗电量比其他设备低 冰箱类型的。拟议的再冷凝器将不再需要液体 现有MRI系统中的氦补充，只需最少的修改即可 核磁共振组。在第一阶段项目中，切萨皮克低温公司已经建立了 再冷凝器的设计、仿真和实验研究 再冷凝器的性能。产生的再冷凝器将是可改装的 各种固定和移动的MRI磁体系统，并具有 设计灵活，可满足大多数现役机组的低温需求 世界范围内。在第二阶段，切萨皮克低温公司将建造完整的 优化了再冷凝器，并在一台商用核磁共振装置上演示了其性能。 建议的商业应用： 拟议中的液氦再冷凝器将降低高场磁共振成像的运营成本。它还将使使用超导磁体的新核磁共振系统成为可能，但不需要补充任何冷冻剂。

DESCRIPTION (Applicant's abstract verbatim): The cooling of high-field super conducting magnets adds an additional component to the operating cost of MRI: the cost of replenishing the liquid helium cryogen that is continuously lost to boil-off. Chesapeake Cryogenics proposes to construct a recondenser that will liquefy helium gas, enabling its re-use, and thereby lowering the total operating cost of MRI. The recondenser borrows heavily on a new, patented refrigeration scheme called the BOREAS cycle. As well as using proven refrigeration cycles and components to achieve its goal of 2 watts at 4K. Its advantages include low vibration, the capability to move much of the mechanism up to 60 feet from the MRI unit, and lower power usage than other refrigerator-types. The proposed recondenser will eliminate the need for liquid helium replenishment in existing MRI systems with a minimum of modifications to the MRI unit. In the Phase I project Chesapeake Cryogenics has established the feasibility of a recondenser through design, simulation and experimentation of the recondenser performance. The resulting recondenser will be retrofitable on a wide variety of MRI magnet systems both stationary and mobile and has the design flexibility to meet the cryogenic needs of most units now in service world wide. In Phase II Chesapeake Cryogenics will construct the complete optimized recondenser and demonstrate its performance on a commercial MRI unit. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATION: The proposed liquid helium recondenser will lower the operating cost of high-field MRI. It will also enable new MRI systems that employ superconducting magnets, but do not require the replenishment of any cryogens.