Accelerate improvements in MgB2 superconductor wire for new cryogen-free low cost

描述（由申请人提供）：在过去几年中，由于氦气成本的急剧增加，1.5T和3.0T MRI系统的价格和生命周期成本一直在增加，迫切需要避免进一步增加。这对医学界和患者来说尤其令人不安，因为3.0T MRI的高质量图像极大地提高了心脏和神经系统患者的诊断。目前迫切需要一种低成本、高分辨率的全身MRI，这将有助于扩大MRI市场，包括国内服务不足的地区和世界上不发达地区。在过去的4年里，二硼化镁（MgB2）超导体的发展得到了两项NIH SBIR一期和二期拨款的支持。随着本提案中描述的二硼化镁（MgB2）超导体线的成功开发，低成本，无低温1.5T和3.0T全身MRI系统磁体的初始价格和生命周期成本节省将超过数十万美元，假设氦气价格不上涨，如果氦气价格如预测的那样上涨，则节省更多。这些低成本的无液冷核磁共振系统可以在缺少氦气替代的地方使用，同时以非常低的成本获得1.5T和3.0T核磁共振系统的图像质量，而无需求助于替代的低场永磁核磁共振系统。这在氦气价格已经超过35美元/升的国家和农村地区以及根本无法获得液氦的国家尤其有益。该项目的具体目标是将二硼化镁（MgB2）超导体电流密度提高一倍，使其超过3.0T MRI系统的最低要求。这将确保MRI公司在完成这项为期3年的NIH资助后，从开发转向生产基于MgB2的3.0T MRI系统。这将降低MgB2线的性价比，使其等于或低于目前MRI系统中使用的NbTi超导体线。主要的MRI磁体制造商现在有数百万美元的开发计划，重点是将他们的主要螺线管线圈从液氦浴冷却改为使用二硼化镁（MgB2）超导体的干（无冷冻剂）传导冷却，他们都在与Hyper Tech合作，同时提出NIH BRDG-SPAN拨款。该项目由一家小型企业提交，同时获得第三方资金，将满足BRDG-SPAN的目标，即在超导材料技术和线材性能方面取得重大进步，以确保大型MRI公司向商业化（从开发系统转向生产系统）的转变。核磁共振成像系统价格的降低将带来巨大的经济刺激效益，医疗行业将避免由于氦气短缺而导致的核磁共振成像成本的增加。核磁共振成像系统将降低制造和运营成本，结果将降低公众的医疗保健成本。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Over the past several years, the price and life cycle cost of 1.5T and 3.0T MRI systems have been increasing due to a dramatic increase in helium cost, and there is a critical need to avoid further increases. This is particularly troubling to the medical community and patients alike because the high quality images of a 3.0T MRI greatly improve the diagnosis of cardiac and neurological patients. There is an urgent need for a whole-body MRI that is low-cost, has high resolution and which will facilitate expanding the MRI market to include underserved areas domestically and underdeveloped regions of the world. The development of magnesium diboride (MgB2) superconductors has been fostered by two NIH SBIR Phase 1 & II grants over the last 4 years. With the magnesium diboride (MgB2) superconductor wire successfully developed as described in this proposal, low cost, cryogen-free 1.5T and 3.0T full body MRI system magnets will have an initial price and life cycle cost savings of over several hundred thousand dollars per system, assuming helium prices do not rise, and dramatic more savings if helium increases as predicted. These lower cost liquid cryogen free MRI systems can be sited where replacement helium is scarce while achieving the image quality of 1.5T and 3.0T MRI systems at very much lower cost, and without resorting to the alternative low field permanent magnet MRI systems. This is especially beneficial in countries and rural settings where helium is already over $35/liter and in countries where liquid helium is not available at all. The tasks in this project have the specific aim of doubling the magnesium diboride (MgB2) superconductor current density, which places it beyond the minimum required for a 3.0T MRI system. This will assure that the MRI companies move from development to production of MgB2 based 3.0T MRI systems after the completion of this 3-year NIH grant. This would lower the price/performance ratio of the MgB2 wire to be equal to or less than NbTi superconductor wire presently used in MRI systems. The major MRI magnet manufacturers now have multi-million dollar development programs focused on changing their main solenoid coils from liquid helium bath cooling to dry (cryogen free) conduction cooling using magnesium diboride (MgB2) superconductor, and they are all working with Hyper Tech concurrent with the proposed NIH BRDG-SPAN grant. This proposed project submitted by a small business with concurrent third party funds will meet the BRDG-SPAN objectives, namely, major improvements in superconductor material technology and wire performance to assure the move to commercialization (move from development systems to production systems) by the major MRI companies. There will be a substantial economic stimulus benefit from reduced prices for MRI's systems, and the medical industry will avoid the increases costs predicted for MRI's due to the impending helium shortages. The MRI systems will have reduced manufacturing and operating cost, and the result will be lower health care costs to the public. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The system price and operating cost of 1.5T and 3.0T MRI systems have been escalating dramatically due to the predicted world shortages of helium, and it will get worse over the coming years. Magnesium diboride superconductor wires can enable low cost, liquid cryogen free, high image quality 1.5T and 3.0T systems that can be sited in under-served areas domestically and underdeveloped regions of the world where helium to presently too expensive to justify a MRI. The medical industry can save several hundreds of thousands of dollars over the product life cycle of each MgB2 MRI system resulting in lower costs for high image quality and lower health care costs to the public.