Low Cost Open MRI Systems using MgB2 Coils

描述(由申请人提供)： 本项目旨在展示性能更高的0.5T及以上超导开放式磁共振系统，即比0.4T永磁式磁共振系统成本更低的系统。这些低成本系统的开发将使核磁共振系统在健康行业得到更广泛的应用。更高性能和更低成本的目标将通过使用具有更高工作温度、20-30K和低制造成本的超导体来实现。与使用复杂的氦或低温冷却器的4K系统相比，20-30K的工作温度将允许使用非常简单、低成本的低温恒温器和低温冷却器。由于2001年1月刚刚发现的一种新型超导化合物的使用，超导线材的成本将会很低。新化合物是二硼化镁。在20K时，二硼化镁可以制成超导丝，在4K时可以比传统的Nb-TiO2超导丝成本低。预测了20K时陶瓷BSCCO带材和YBCO高温超导涂层超导体的成本。 在第一阶段，我们将演示二硼化镁超导线可以被制造成用于磁共振的线圈，在第二阶段，可以在牛津和西门子已经建造的现有的磁共振试验台上制造和评估全尺寸的磁共振线圈。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This project is to demonstrate superconducting open MRI systems that are higher performance, 0.5T and greater, that is lower cost than 0.4T permanent magnet MRI systems. The development of these lower cost systems will enable MRI systems to be more widely used in the health industry. The objectives of higher performance and lower costs, will be achieved through using superconductors that have higher operating temperatures, 20-30 K, and low manufacturing costs. The 20-30 K operating temperature will allow very simple low cost cryostats and cryocoolers to be used, compared to 4K systems using complicated cryostats with Helium or cryocoolers. The superconductor wire cost will be low cost due to the use of a new type of superconductor compound that was just discovered in January 2001. The new compound is magnesium diboride. Magnesium diboride at 20 K can be made into a superconductor wire that can be lower cost than conventional Niobium Titanium superconductor wires at 4 K, and the future projected costs for ceramic BSCCO tape and YBCO HTS coated superconductors at 20 K. During the Phase I we will demonstrate that magnesium diboride superconductor wires can be fabricated into coils for MRI, During Phase II full size MRI coils could be fabricated and evaluated in an exsisting MRI test bed that has already been built by Oxford and Siemens.