A Low-Cost Cryosusceptometer

低成本冷冻感受器

• 批准号: 7216429
• 负责人: DOUGLAS N PAULSON
• 金额: $ 35万
• 依托单位: TRISTAN TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2004
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2004-04-01 至 2009-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/7216429
• 关键词: Beds; Body measure procedure; Clinical; Development; Elements; Goals; Helium; Hematological Disease; Hematology; Human Resources; Industry; Invasive; Iron; Iron Overload; Liquid substance; Magnetism; Measurement; Measures; Medicine; Methodology; Methods; Motivation; National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases; Needs Assessment; Numbers; Operative Surgical Procedures; Patients; Phase; Program Development; Range; Research; Resources; Science; Sickle Cell; Small Business Funding Mechanisms; Small Business Innovation Research Grant; System; Technology; Time; Touch sensation; Training; Weight; base; cold temperature; cost; cost effective; cryogenics; innovation; instrument; novel; prototype; research clinical testing; sensor; superconductivity; vibration

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): There is an established clinical need for a non-invasive measure of body iron stores that is safe, accurate, cost effective and readily available. An accurate, clinically validated susceptometer based on low-temperature superconductivity (LTS) has been available for more than two decades, but its complexity, cost (~$1,000,000), and need for liquid helium have restricted its use to a handful of research centers. Given the liquid helium requirement, and the fact that no significant cost reduction has occurred since its inception, it has been widely felt that superconducting susceptometry is unlikely to enter general clinical practice. The discovery of high-Tc superconductivity and the recent emergence of flexible materials based employing superconductors have dramatically altered the technical picture. In Phase I, we combined these novel materials with a number of other recent advances and overcame the technical barriers to widespread implementation noted. Specifically, we developed an proof-of-principle instrument using conventional magnetic sensors and a very innovative flux concentrator. The recent availability of low vibration and small mass cryocoolers has made the instrument depend only on wall power for operation and uncomplicated cryogenics. The new proposed instrument will have a material parts cost often times less than the ITS system and be much simpler to operate and maintain. A new measurement methodology has been developed that eliminates the costlier and unreliable elements while promising equivalent or superior sensitivities. Our Phase II goal is to build on our strong progress in Phase I and construct a prototype cryosusceptometer that is accurate, inexpensive and can be operated by personnel who have no specialized technical training. A simple low-cost cryosusceptometer will satisfy the pressing need for accurate clinical iron assessment over a wide range of iron stores (0.2 mg/g-wet weight to above 10 mg/g). It also promises to open up a number of other applications for superconducting susceptometry, in both medicine and industry. To achieve this, we propose a step-by-step development program that concludes with a preliminary clinical evaluation involving twenty iron overloaded (thalassemic and sickle-cell) patients and five normal control subjects.

描述（由申请人提供）：临床需要一种安全、准确、具有成本效益且易于获得的无创体铁储量测量方法。一种基于低温超导（LTS）的精确的、经临床验证的电纳计已经问世20多年了，但它的复杂性、成本（约100万美元）以及对液氦的需求限制了它在少数研究中心的使用。考虑到对液氦的需求，以及自超导电纳测量开始以来没有显著降低成本的事实，人们普遍认为超导电纳测量不太可能进入一般临床实践。高温超导的发现和最近基于超导体的柔性材料的出现极大地改变了技术图景。在第一阶段，我们将这些新材料与其他一些最新进展结合起来，克服了上述广泛实施的技术障碍。具体来说，我们开发了一个原理验证仪器，使用传统的磁传感器和一个非常创新的磁通集中器。近年来，低振动和小质量制冷机的出现，使得该仪器仅依靠壁面电源运行和简单的低温。新提出的仪器的材料部件成本通常比ITS系统低1 / 3，操作和维护也更简单。一种新的测量方法已经开发出来，它消除了昂贵和不可靠的元素，同时保证了同等或更高的灵敏度。我们第二阶段的目标是在第一阶段的强大进展的基础上，构建一个准确、廉价、无需专业技术培训的人员也可以操作的低温计原型。一种简单的低成本低温体温计将满足临床对铁储量（0.2 mg/g湿重至10 mg/g以上）的准确评估的迫切需要。它还有望在医学和工业上为超导电纳测量开辟许多其他应用。为了实现这一目标，我们提出了一个循序渐进的发展计划，其中包括20名铁负荷过重（地中海贫血和镰状细胞）患者和5名正常对照受试者的初步临床评估。