Epoch Wires - Demonstrating a process for continuous manufacture of MgB2 superconducting wire

磁共振成像（MRI）是一种医学成像技术，能够产生身体内部的高分辨率图像。它最常被用于检查大脑、腹部、心血管和肌肉骨骼系统，在这些系统中，它分辨软组织结构的能力有助于诊断心脏病、癌症、多发性硬化症和阿尔茨海默病等疾病。大多数MRI系统使用超导磁体，需要用液氦过冷才能工作。随着需求的持续增长，氦的价格在过去十年中翻了一番多。这导致了MRI系统极高的运行成本。MRI制造商正在寻找替代超导材料，这些材料的工作温度高于低温液体（如氢和氮）的沸点，这些材料相对便宜且容易获得。二硼化镁（MgB 2）是最有前途的替代超导材料，因为它在39 K以下是超导的;因此它可以用沸点为20 K的液态氢操作。然而，MRI机器需要大量的（5 - 20公里）的连续超导导线，目前还没有商业上可行的制造工艺生产的MgB 2的价格和数量进入市场。导线有一个正在申请专利的过程，以制造大量的连续MgB 2线。他们需要开发一个原型系统，可以证明MgB 2 wirereproductivity在一个可接受的价格点的MRI制造商。

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a medical imaging technique that is able to producehigh-resolution images of the interior of the body. It is most commonly used to exam thebrain, abdomen and the cardiovascular and musculoskeletal systems, where its ability todistinguish the structure of soft tissues assists in the diagnosis of conditions such as heartdisease, cancer multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer’s disease.Most MRI systems use superconducting magnets that require supercooling with liquid heliumto operate. The price of helium has more than doubled in the last decade as demand hascontinued to grow. This has led to extremely high running costs for MRI systems.MRI manufacturers are seeking alternative superconducting materials that operate attemperatures above the boiling point of cryogenic liquids such as hydrogen and nitrogen,which are relatively inexpensive and readily available. The most promising alternativesuperconducting material is magnesium diboride (MgB2) because it is superconducting below39 K; therefore it can operate with liquid hydrogen, which has a boiling point of 20 K.However, MRI machines require large quantities (5 - 20 km) of continuous superconductingwire and currently there is no commercially viable manufacturing process to produce MgB2 ata price and quantity to enter the market.Epoch Wires have a patent pending process to manufacture large quantities of continuousMgB2 wire. They need the to develop a prototype system that can demonstrate MgB2 wireproduction at an acceptable price point for the MRI manufacturers.