Upgrading Magnetoencephalography (MEG) system with Internal Helium Recycler (IHR)

脑磁图（MEG）是基于检测大脑内电活动产生的微小磁场。脑磁图扫描仪需要超导量子干涉装置（squid）浸泡在液氦冷却装置中，以检测和放大头皮上方空间中神经元产生的磁场。目前全球严重的氦短缺使得需要液氦的研究人员关闭了他们的设备。在阿尔斯特大学的北爱尔兰脑功能测绘（NIFBM）设施，供应商（BOC）偶尔无法提供我们所需的氦气-迫使我们暂时关闭MEG系统，导致研究中断和大量重新启动成本（高达19k欧元）。我们建议购买MEGIN的内部氦气回收器（IHR），因为它创建了一个闭式循环过冷系统，不需要每周氦气补充，减轻了研究人员的负担，并降低了与储存氦气瓶相关的风险，即爆炸、泄漏耗氧和转移过程中的“冰烧”。MEGIN的IHR升级是唯一能够提供零损耗氦气回收的氦气回收技术，并与医疗级Triux MEG系统完全集成。脑磁图（MEG functional brain mapping）用于研究大脑中的信息处理，以了解发育障碍、精神和神经退行性疾病、记忆、注意力、情感、语言和社会认知的神经基础。它还用于定位癫痫发生区，并对即将进行手术治疗的癫痫患者的视觉、听觉、体感和运动皮质以及语言功能区进行术前绘图。NIFBM是爱尔兰唯一的此类设施。《国际卫生条例》的升级消除了对频繁（不可靠）交付氦气的依赖。因此，研究方案可以提前很好地规划和定期管理。在处理诸如中风患者和阿尔茨海默病患者等弱势群体时，这一点尤为重要。即使是几周的延迟也会对研究设计造成问题，而且，这些参与者需要帮助才能参加，因此增加了对计划的需求。

TMagnetoencephalography (MEG) is based on detection of tiny magnetic fields produced by electrical activity within the brain. MEG scanners require superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) bathed in a liquid Helium cooling unit to detect and amplify magnetic fields generated by neurons, in the space above the scalp. There is currently severe global Helium shortage making researchers requiring liquid Helium shut down their equipment. At Ulster University's Northern Ireland Functional Brain Mapping (NIFBM) facility, the supplier (BOC) has occasionally been unable to source the helium we require - forcing us to temporarily shut down the MEG system resulting in interruption of research and substantial restart costs (up to Euro 19k). We propose to purchase MEGIN's internal helium recycler (IHR), as it creates a closed-cycle supercooling system, requiring no weekly Helium refills, relieving research staff and reducing risks associated with storing Helium cylinders, i.e., explosion, oxygen depletion on leakage and 'ice burn' during transfer. MEGIN's IHR upgrade is the only Helium recycler technology capable of offering zero loss Helium recycling and integrate fully with the medical grade Triux MEG system.MEG functional brain mapping is used to study information processing in the brain in order to understand the neural basis of developmental disorders, psychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases, memory, attention, emotion, language and social cognition. It is also employed to locate epileptogenic zone(s) and to perform pre-surgical mapping of visual, auditory, somatosensory and motor cortices, and language functional areas of epilepsy patients going forward for surgical treatment. NIFBM is the only such facility in Ireland. An IHR upgrade eliminates the dependence on frequent (unreliable) deliveries of Helium. Consequently, research programmes can be planned well in advance and managed regularly. This is particularly important when dealing with vulnerable groups, such as stroke victims and patients with Alzheimer Disease (AD). Even a couple of weeks delay can cause problems for the study design and moreover, these participants require assistance to attend, thus enhancing the need for planning.