LIQUID HELIUM RECONDENSER TO REDUCE MRI OPERATING COST

液氦再冷凝器可降低 MRI 运行成本

• 批准号: 6529836
• 负责人: MICHAEL J SUPERCZYNSKI
• 金额: $ 35.22万
• 依托单位: CHESAPEAKE CRYOGENICS, INC.
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 1998
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1998-09-28 至 2005-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/6529836
• 关键词: bioimaging /biomedical imaging; biomedical equipment development; chemical condensation; cost effectiveness; cryoscience; fluid; helium; magnetic resonance imaging; phase change; superconductivity; thermodynamics

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.

描述（申请人的逐字摘要）：高场超强冷却 导电磁铁增加了 MRI 运行成本的额外组成部分： 补充不断流失的液氦冷冻剂的成本 沸腾。切萨皮克低温公司提议建造一个再冷凝器 液化氦气，使其能够重复使用，从而降低总排放量 MRI 的运行成本。再冷凝器大量借鉴了一种新的专利技术 制冷方案称为 BOREAS 循环。以及使用经过验证的 制冷循环和组件，以实现 4K 时 2 瓦的目标。它是 优点包括低振动、能够移动大部分机构 距 MRI 装置最远 60 英尺，且功耗比其他装置更低 冰箱类型。拟议的再冷凝器将消除对液体的需求 现有 MRI 系统中的氦气补充只需进行最少的修改 核磁共振装置。在第一阶段项目中，Chesapeake Cryogenics 建立了 通过设计、模拟和实验证明再冷凝器的可行性 再冷凝器性能。由此产生的再冷凝器将可改装 各种固定式和移动式 MRI 磁体系统，并且具有 设计灵活性可满足大多数现役设备的低温需求 全世界。在第二阶段，Chesapeake Cryogenics 将建造完整的 优化再冷凝器并在商用 MRI 设备上展示其性能。 拟议的商业应用： 所提出的液氦再冷凝器将降低高场 MRI 的运行成本。它还将使采用超导磁体的新型 MRI 系统成为可能，但不需要补充任何冷冻剂。