Gas Hyperpolarizer

Abstract

A polarization device comprising: a spin exchange optical pump for hyperpolarizing a noble gas, the spin exchange optical pump comprising a magnetic field coil arrangement configured to provide a static uniform magnetic field used by the spin exchange optical pump within a static uniform magnetic field region; and a storage holder for storing the hyperpolarized noble gas output from the spin exchange optical pump in a gas phase, the storage holder being located outside the oven of the spin exchange optical pump and inside the static uniform magnetic field region, and providing a corresponding storage space for storing and holding the hyperpolarized noble gas generated by the spin exchange optical pump.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001] [Technical field] SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to polarizers (gas hyperpolarizers) used to provide hyperpolarized noble gases.

[0002] [background] Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy involves applying radio frequency radiation to alter and then measure the nuclear spin state of atomic nuclei.

[0003] The strength of the signal produced depends, for example, on the magnetization density of the nuclei.

[0004] The magnetization density of atomic nuclei in a physically lower density state (e.g., a gas) can be increased by hyperpolarization, which increases the net nuclear spin polarization (magnetization) far beyond the thermal equilibrium condition.

[0005] [overview] According to various examples, but not necessarily all, a spin-exchange optical pump for hyperpolarization of a noble gas, the spin-exchange optical pump comprising, within a static uniform magnetic field region, a magnetic field coil arrangement configured to provide a static uniform magnetic field used by the spin-exchange optical pump; a storage holder for storing the hyperpolarized noble gas output from the spin exchange optical pump in a gaseous state, the storage holder being located outside the oven of the spin exchange optical pump and inside the static uniform magnetic field region, the storage holder providing a corresponding storage space for storing and holding the hyperpolarized noble gas generated by the spin exchange optical pump; A polarization device is provided, comprising:

[0006] In some, but not necessarily all, instances, the storage holder is sized and positioned so that the entire storage space is entirely contained within the static uniform magnetic field region.

[0007] In some, but not necessarily all, instances, the length of the storage space in a direction parallel to the static uniform magnetic field is less than the length of the static uniform magnetic field region in the same direction.

[0008] In some, but not necessarily all, instances, the storage space is neither heated nor cooled and is in a room temperature environment during use.

[0009] In some, but not necessarily all, instances, the entire storage space is outside the oven of the spin exchange optical pump and inside the static uniform magnetic field region.

[0010] In some, but not necessarily all, examples, the reservoir holder is located in the space between the oven of the spin exchange optical pump and the magnetic field coil of the magnetic field coil arrangement.

[0011] In some, but not necessarily all, examples, the magnetic field coils of the magnetic field coil arrangement are concentrically arranged on a longitudinal axis and lie in parallel cross-sections perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, defining a magnetic field coil region having a constant cross-sectional area defined by the cross-sectional areas of the magnetic field coils in the parallel cross-sections and a length defined by the maximum distance parallel to the longitudinal axis between the magnetic field coils of the magnetic field coil arrangement, the oven of the spin exchange optical pump extends parallel to the longitudinal axis within the magnetic field coil region, and the storage holder is positioned within the magnetic field coil region in a transverse relationship to at least a portion of the oven.

[0012] In some, but not necessarily all, examples, the magnetic field coils of the magnetic field coil arrangement define a magnetic field coil region that is concentrically arranged on a longitudinal horizontal axis, lies in a parallel transverse vertical plane perpendicular to the longitudinal vertical axis, and has a constant cross-sectional area defined by the cross-sectional area of ​​the magnetic field coils in the parallel transverse vertical plane and a length defined by the maximum distance parallel to the longitudinal horizontal axis between the magnetic field coils of the magnetic field coil arrangement, the oven of the spin exchange optical pump extends parallel to the longitudinal horizontal axis within the magnetic field coil region, and the storage holder is vertically arranged within the magnetic field coil region above at least a portion of the oven.

[0013] In some, but not necessarily all, instances, the reservoir holder is thermally insulated from the oven.

[0014] In some, but not necessarily all, instances, the polarizer provides an access route to the storage holder that allows placement of the hyperpolarized noble gas into the storage holder in an orientation that is parallel to the static uniform magnetic field.

[0015] In some, but not necessarily all, instances, the polarizer provides an access route to the storage support into and through the static uniform magnetic field in a longitudinal direction that is parallel to the static uniform magnetic field.

[0016] In some, but not necessarily all, examples, the polarizer provides the storage holder with an enclosure that is at least partially non-ferromagnetic, preventing access to the storage holder across a static uniform magnetic field.

[0017] In some, but not necessarily all, examples, the polarization device provides the storage holder with a housing that is at least partially non-ferromagnetic and prevents access to the storage holder via routes between adjacent magnetic field coils of the magnetic field coil arrangement.

[0018] In some, but not necessarily all, examples, the polarizer provides one or more guides that guide the user's placement of the hyperpolarized noble gas in the reservoir support.

[0019] In some, but not necessarily all, examples, the one or more guides are shaped to facilitate controlled introduction of the hyperpolarized noble gas gas bag into the storage holder and controlled evacuation of the hyperpolarized noble gas gas bag from the storage holder.

[0020] In some, but not necessarily all, examples, one or more guides are shaped to follow the magnetic field lines of the field coil arrangement.

[0021] In some, but not necessarily all, examples, the polarizer comprises a stored gas nuclear magnetic spectrometer for analysis of the hyperpolarized noble gas as it is stored in the storage holder.

[0022] In some, but not necessarily all, examples, the polarization device comprises a production nuclear magnetic spectrometer for analysis of the hyperpolarized noble gas in the optical cell of the spin exchange optical pump, and the radio frequency magnetic field coil arrangement of the production nuclear magnetic spectrometer is arranged orthogonally to the radio frequency magnetic field coil arrangement of the stored gas nuclear magnetic spectrometer to enable simultaneous operation of the stored gas nuclear magnetic spectrometer and the production nuclear magnetic spectrometer.

[0023] In some, but not necessarily all, examples, the radio frequency magnetic field coil arrangement of the stored gas nuclear magnetic spectrometer is integrated with the storage holder.

[0024] In some, but not necessarily all, examples, the storage holder comprises a holder pan with raised sides.

[0025] In some, but not necessarily all, examples, the reservoir holder comprises a concave reservoir pan.

[0026] In some, but not necessarily all, examples, the pan has a corresponding restraint for holding a bag of hyperpolarized noble gas on the pan.

[0027] In some, but not necessarily all, examples, the corresponding restraint for holding the bag of hyperpolarized noble gas on the holding pan is elastically deformable, and the elastic deformation of the restraint provides a holding force for holding the bag of hyperpolarized noble gas on the holding pan.

[0028] In some, but not necessarily all, examples, a corresponding restraint for holding a bag of hyperpolarized noble gas on a holding dish comprises a ring for placement over the bag of hyperpolarized noble gas and an elastic member attached to the ring, the elastic member being dimensioned to stretch when the ring is placed over the bag of hyperpolarized noble gas to provide an elastic force that pulls the ring toward the holding dish to hold the bag of hyperpolarized noble gas on the holding dish.

[0029] In some, but not necessarily all, examples, the radio frequency magnetic field coil arrangement of the stored gas nuclear magnetic spectrometer is formed as part of the holding pan.

[0030] In some, but not necessarily all, examples of spin-exchange optical pumps include: a circularly polarized light source, an optical cell for containing an alkali metal and arranged for illumination by said circularly polarized light source; an oven for heating the optical cell to a temperature sufficient to vaporize the alkali metal; an input for introducing a gas including a noble gas; an output for discharging the gas containing the noble gas after hyperpolarization; Equipped with.

[0031] In some, but not necessarily all, examples of spin-exchange optical pumps include: 129 Configured for hyperpolarization of Xe.

[0032] In some, but not necessarily all, examples, the spin-exchange optical pump comprises a laser configured for Rb electron spin polarization.

[0033] In some, but not necessarily all, examples, the polarizer is configured for cryogenic collection and bagging of the hyperpolarized noble gas prior to storage in a storage support.

[0034] In some, but not necessarily all, instances, the polarizer is housed on a transport trolley.

[0035] According to various examples, but not necessarily all, generating a hyperpolarized noble gas using a spin-exchange optical pump, the spin-exchange optical pump comprising a magnetic field coil arrangement configured to provide a static uniform magnetic field used by the spin-exchange optical pump within a uniform magnetic field body region; providing a storage container for storing the hyperpolarized noble gas output from the spin exchange optical pump in a gas phase, the storage container being located outside the spin exchange optical pump and inside a uniform magnetic field region; A method is provided, comprising:

[0036] Various, but not necessarily all, examples are provided in the appended claims.

[0037] Although the above examples and optional features of the present disclosure have been described separately, it is understood that the present disclosure includes all possible combinations and permutations thereof. It is understood that various examples of the present disclosure may include any or all of the features described with respect to other examples of the present disclosure, or vice versa. It is also understood that any one or more or all of the features may be implemented by an apparatus and / or comprised in a method and / or be executable by computer program instructions, in any combination, as appropriate and appropriate.

[0038] Some examples will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0039] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a polarization apparatus. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 shows an example of an optical cell for a spin-exchange optical pump used in a polarizer. [Figure 3]FIG. 1 shows an example of a storage holder for a polarizer configured to store hyperpolarized noble gas outside a spin-exchange optical pump at room temperature. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 illustrates the magnetic field generated by the field coil arrangement of a spin-exchange optical pump. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 illustrates the magnetic field strength generated by the magnetic field coil arrangement of a spin-exchange optical pump. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 shows an example of a storage holder provided with a guide. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 shows an example of a storage holder with an active retainer. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 shows another example of a storage container with integrated magnetic field coils linked to a nuclear magnetic spectrometer. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a method. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a controller for controlling a polarization apparatus. [Figure 11] FIG. 1 shows an example of a computer program for use with the polarizer. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0040] The figures are not necessarily to scale. Some features and views of the figures may be shown diagrammatically or exaggerated in scale for clarity and conciseness. For example, the dimensions of some elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to aid in illustration. Like reference numbers are used in the figures to indicate like features. For clarity, not all reference numbers are necessarily shown in every figure.

[0041] [Detailed explanation] Nuclear spin is defined by a quantum number (I), which varies depending on the isotope being considered. Only nuclei with I≠0 are detectable by NMR spectroscopy.

[0042] As a result of the nuclear Zeeman effect, I=1 / 2 nuclear spins can adopt two different orientations when they align with an external magnetic field (B0): one orientation corresponds to the lowest energy level of the nucleus (parallel to the external magnetic field), and the other orientation corresponds to the highest energy level of the nucleus (antiparallel to the external magnetic field).

[0043] The difference between the energy levels (ΔE) depends on the magnetic field and the gyromagnetic ratio of the isotope.

[0044] Therefore, at thermal equilibrium, there will be different average occupation numbers at different energy levels.

[0045] Nuclear magnetic resonance created by applied radio frequency electromagnetic energy causes transitions between nuclear spin state energy levels that are detected in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

[0046] The strength of the detected signal depends on the difference in the population of spin states and the density of the nuclei. Therefore, the nuclear polarization caused by the nuclear Zeeman effect can be sufficient to provide a strong signal due to the density of protons in tissue, for example, in proton (H) nuclear magnetic imaging.

[0047] However, inhaled gases have a much lower density, and therefore, in order to perform nuclear magnetic imaging on inhaled gases, it may be desirable to hyperpolarize the gas.

[0048] Hyperpolarization is the exogenous enhancement of magnetization, which creates a higher magnetization density of an NMR-active isotope.

[0049] Unlike proton MRI, which reports on the anatomical features of lung tissue, gas-based MRI reports on lung function, including gas ventilation, diffusion, and perfusion.

[0050] Hyperpolarization increases the net nuclear spin polarization above the thermal equilibrium condition determined by the Boltzmann equation. The polarization level is 10 4 ~105 The effect can be enhanced by more than 2-fold.

[0051] Hyperpolarization is often performed on noble gases using spin-exchange optical pumping because they are chemically inert with respect to alkali metals and have relaxation times long enough to accumulate polarization yet short enough to be used effectively for MRI.

[0052] In order to interact with the magnetic field in the spectrometer, the nuclei must have an intrinsic nuclear magnetic moment and angular momentum, which occurs when the isotope has a non-zero nuclear spin, i.e., an odd number of protons and / or neutrons.

[0053] Two noble gases, namely, 3 He and 129 Xe has a nuclear spin of 1 / 2 and a gyromagnetic ratio to that of the proton of 0.76 and 0.28, respectively. They have long T1 relaxation times after being polarized.

[0054] Xenon is extracted from the atmosphere by partial distillation and the desired 129 The Xe isotope has a significant natural abundance of 26.4%.

[0055] Spin exchange optical pumping comprises: i) A noble gas with a non-zero spin state is placed in an applied external magnetic field, which results in the creation of different energy levels for different nuclear spin states (nuclear Zeeman effect). ii) A laser-optical pumping process is used to induce polarization of the electronic spin states of vapor alkali metals, often Rb. Circularly polarized infrared laser light tuned to an appropriate wavelength is used to excite electrons in the vapor alkali metal. An external magnetic field imposes angular momentum selection rules on the hyperfine electronic states of Rb to produce ground-state polarization of the Rb electrons. iii) A rare gas and polarized alkali metal vapor are contained in the gas phase in the same vessel. Angular momentum is transferred from the alkali metal electrons to the rare gas nuclei through gas-phase collisions. Nitrogen is used as a quenching gas, improving optical pumping efficiency by preventing fluorescence of the polarized alkali metal.

[0056] The alkali metal is continuously optically pumped, transferring its polarization to the noble gas nuclei, increasing the population of the nuclear spin-up states. Relaxation occurs, but the process accumulates an increasing population of the spin-up nuclear spin states.

[0057] When irradiation is stopped, relaxation of the nuclear polarization and a return to thermal equilibrium distribution begins to occur. To use hyperpolarized noble gases in applications such as lung imaging, the gas must be transferred from the experimental facility to the patient. As soon as the gas is no longer undergoing spin-exchange collisions, the degree of hyperpolarization begins to decrease until thermal equilibrium is reached. However, the hyperpolarization must persist long enough to transfer the gas to the patient and obtain an image.

[0058] FIG. 1 shows an example of a polarization apparatus 10. In this example, Rb is used as the alkali metal, 129 Xe is used as the noble gas isotope. However, in other examples, a different alkali metal may be used and / or a different noble gas may be used (e.g., 3 He). Therefore, the device 10 129 This is a Xe polarization system.

[0059] The apparatus 10 includes a spin exchange optical pump (SEOP) 20 .

[0060] SEOP20 is i) a magnetic field coil 30 for generating a static magnetic field 32 for enabling the nuclear Zeeman effect; ii) an optical cell 50 comprising Rb; iii) an oven 46 for heating the optical cell and maintaining the Rb in a vapor state; iv) a laser 42 tuned to excite Rb electrons; v) optics 44 for circularly polarizing the laser light and directing it into the optical cell 50; vi) Optical cell 50 129 an input 53 of the optical cell 50 for providing Xe gas; vii) Hyperpolarized from optical cell 50 129 an output 54 of the optical cell 50 for extracting Xe gas; viii) Controller 60 for controlling the SEOP 20 Equipped with.

[0061] The SEOP20 operates by polarizing the electron spin states of Rb vapor. Circularly polarized infrared laser light tuned to the appropriate wavelength is used to excite electrons in the vaporized alkali metal. An external magnetic field ensures that the circularly polarized light selectively pumps the Rb electrons into a given angular momentum hyperfine state. 129 Xe and polarized alkali metal vapors are contained in the gas phase in the same vessel, the optical cell 50. Angular momentum is transferred from the alkali metal electrons to the noble gas nuclei through gas-phase collisions. Nitrogen is used as a quenching gas, preventing the fluorescence of the polarized alkali metal.

[0062] The alkali metal, i.e., Rb, is continuously optically pumped to polarize it in a manner similar to that of a noble gas. 129 The transfer continues to the Xe nuclei, increasing the population of nuclear spin-up states.

[0063] The magnetic field coil 30 is used to generate a single applied external magnetic field B that is used both to create different energy levels for different nuclear spin states (nuclear Zeeman effect) and to impose angular momentum selection rules on the hyperfine electronic states of Rb to generate ground state polarization of the Rb electrons. o Generate.

[0064] FIG. 4 shows an example of the magnetic field produced by the field coils 30.

[0065] The magnetic field coils are aligned with the longitudinal axis of the device, and each magnetic field coil is parallel to a transverse plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

[0066] The magnetic field 32 is spatially uniform within the uniform magnetic field region 34. The magnetic field 32 does not vary or does not vary significantly with position within the uniform magnetic field region 34. An insignificant variation is one that is less than 5% or 10%. The magnetic field lines are straight and parallel within the uniform magnetic field region, with no bending.

[0067] FIG. 4 illustrates that the magnetic field 32 does not vary, or does not vary significantly, with distance along a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis within the uniform magnetic field region 34 .

[0068] FIG. 5 illustrates that the magnitude of the magnetic field 32 does not vary, or does not vary significantly, with distance along the longitudinal axis within the uniform magnetic field region 34.

[0069] In the illustrated example, the field coils 30 have a four-coil configuration and are powered as electromagnets, although a different number of coils may be used.

[0070] In some examples, the coils 30 are rectangular coils. In some examples, the rectangular coils have side lengths of approximately 100-60 cm. The longitudinal spacing between the four coils 30 is optimized for magnetic field homogeneity. The longitudinal spacing between the coils 30 is defined as a / d = 0.128 106 and b / d = 0.505 492, where a is the distance from the center to the inner coil, b is the distance from the center to the outer coil, and d is the side length of the coil.

[0071] The nominal B0 field produced by the field coil arrangement 30 is 129 It may be maintained at 24 mT, which corresponds to a resonant frequency of 28 kHz for the Xe nuclei, however other magnetic field strengths may also be maintained.

[0072] The optical cell 50 is a closed volume filled with Rb. The optical cell 50 may be formed, for example, from borosilicate glass.

[0073] In the example shown in Figure 2, the optical cell has a cylindrical shape. It has a length of 40 cm and a diameter of 7.5 cm, and contains 1767 cm 3 This volume is filled with approximately 1 g of Rb.

[0074] The optical cell 50 is placed inside (not necessarily concentric with) the coil 30 within the uniform magnetic field region 34, as shown in FIG.

[0075] The optical cell 50 is placed in an oven 46 which heats the optical cell 50 and its contents. This vaporizes the Rb at temperatures above 40°C.

[0076] Oven 46 may be, for example, a ceramic forced air oven. Oven 46 may include an anti-reflective glass window at its longitudinal end closest to laser 42 for the laser light to pass through.

[0077] The oven is heated using a combination of an air compressor and a heating element.

[0078] The compressor pushes air through a heating system and into the oven 46. A thermocouple in the oven 46 provides a temperature feedback signal that is used to control the compressor system and / or the heating system. Using this feedback loop, it is possible to maintain a constant temperature up to 170°C.

[0079] The laser 42 is tuned to the Rb valence D1 line (795 nm). The laser 42 may be, for example, a diode laser. In the illustrated example, the laser 42 is an air-cooled laser diode array providing approximately 75 W of laser light tuned to the rubidium valence D1 line (795 nm). The center wavelength is 794.77 nm and the linewidth is 0.30 nm. The laser 42 is a continuous wave laser in this example.

[0080] Optics 44 includes beam shaping optics and polarizing optics.

[0081] The beam shaping optics in this example include a beam expander to output a beam diameter that matches the diameter of the optical cell (7.5 cm). For example, a focusing telescope can be used as the beam expander. In this way, the entire optical cell 50 is illuminated by the laser light, providing the greatest possible polarization.

[0082] The polarizing optics circularly polarize the laser light before it enters the optical cell 50. A circular polarizer can be formed, for example, from a combination of a linear polarizer and a quarter wave plate.

[0083] The circularly polarized light is a uniform circular beam incident on the oven window. Stray laser light is mitigated by enclosing the beam, optics, and oven with front and back plates, but wearing laser safety goggles is recommended as an added precaution.

[0084] Input 53 comprises a gas manifold that directs gas flow from a cylinder through a pressure regulator and into the optical cell. 129 A preferred gas mixture is 3% isotopically enriched xenon (86% 129 Xe), 10% N2, and 87% He. The gas pressure may be, for example, 200 kPa.

[0085] During continuous flow operation, the xenon gas mixture is flowed through the cell in the direction opposite to the incident laser beam at a rate of 1000 sccm (standard cubic centimeters per minute), corresponding to a xenon flow rate of 1800 mL / h.

[0086] The polarized gas exits the cell through outlet 54 .

[0087] There are two methods of spin-exchange optical pumping: batch mode and continuous-flow mode. Batch mode does not require a cryogenic storage of xenon, while continuous-flow mode does. Batch mode has a slower xenon generation rate (100-1000 mL / h) but a higher 129 Xe polarization (50%-90%) occurs in continuous flow mode, but at higher production rates (1000-3500 mL / h) it is lower. 129 Xe polarization (20% to 50%) occurs.

[0088] In this example, continuous flow mode is used. The faster production rates currently available with continuous flow hyperpolarizers, when compared to batch mode systems, are typically clinically feasible given typical xenon throughput requirements. 129 It offers increased possibilities for Xe MRI.

[0089] In the illustrated device 10, hyperpolarized 129 The Xe is accumulated at low temperature. The gas mixture leaving the optical cell 50 is passed through a spiral glassware suspended in a liquid nitrogen cryostat. A permanent magnet is used to provide a magnetic field that helps maintain the hyperpolarization. In this example, the spiral glassware is held within the magnetic field of a 250 mT NdBFe horseshoe permanent magnet and immersed in a Dewar containing liquid N2.

[0090] Approximately 161K 129 The freezing point of Xe is well above the temperature of liquid nitrogen, about 77 K. At the temperature of liquid nitrogen, the only gas captured from the exhaust gas mixture is hyperpolarized Xe. 129 Xe in a flowing gas mixture 129 The Xe is cryogenically separated from the He and N2, which are removed as exhaust gases through a vacuum line. The relaxation time T1 of polarized xenon in the frozen state at 77 K at 250 mT is approximately 2.5 hours.

[0091] The gas flow rate from the optical cell 50 is controlled using a mass flow meter connected in series with a diaphragm vacuum pump that generates a downstream pressure of approximately 200 Pa.

[0092] Sufficient hyperpolarization 129 Once the Xe snow is deposited in the spiral glassware, it is thawed by immersion in room temperature water. 129 The Xe sublimes into the gas phase and flows into a bag 80, for example, a polyvinyl fluoride film bag.

[0093] The B1 field surface coil of the NMR spectrometer may be fixed to the outer surface of the optical cell 50, with the B1 field being orthogonal to the B0 field direction. The B1 field coil of the spectrometer is tuned to the RF excitation pulses generated to 129 This changes the population of the split nuclear spin states of Xe, which then allows the free induction decay of the transverse signal generated by the polarized nuclear spins to be detected. Therefore, the optical cell spectrometer magnetic field coil is directly proportional to the longitudinal and transverse components of the induced magnetization in the B1 coil, which is detected during the free induction decay. 129 It can be used to examine the magnitude of the hyperpolarization of Xe. 129 When the Xe is sufficiently polarized, the hyperpolarization can be removed from the optical cell 50 via the output 54 described above.

[0094] To further increase the polarization, a reflective mirror can be placed behind the optic cell 50 to reflect the laser light back through the optic cell 50 .

[0095] A photodetector can be placed after the optical cell 50 to measure the laser light absorption by Rb. The spectral difference between the room temperature spectrum and the spectrum acquired while the cell is heated can be used to calculate an estimated Rb polarization value.

[0096] In at least some instances, the device 10 can be quickly installed on-site or hyperpolarized. 129It is a self-contained, stand-alone, transportable device that can be temporarily brought to another facility interested in using Xe.

[0097] The device 10 is compact and does not require additional on-site infrastructure (in other words, the device 10 does not require a compressed air supply and is mains powered). The device 10 can generate a predetermined volume for high-quality clinical pulmonary MRI in under 20 minutes. 129 The device 10 can be manually transported in a lightweight van and quickly set up on a small footprint in a hospital environment.

[0098] The device 10 may, for example, occupy a volume of 1.34m length x 0.72m width x 1.2m height, be powered by three 240V / 50Hz AC mains power sockets and weigh less than 150kg.

[0099] 129 The relaxation of hyperpolarization of Xe is observed from the SEOP cell 20. 129 It begins to occur after removal of Xe.

[0100] To enrich the xenon mixture, for example from 3% to 100%, the gas mixture may be distilled at low temperatures to separate the helium gas and nitrogen buffer gas.

[0101] Frozen 129 When Xe is melted, the rate of relaxation increases as the xenon undergoes a phase transition. 129 Xe can be controlled by storing it, however this requires specialized skills and equipment, which does not lend itself well to easy storage and immediate use within a hospital environment.

[0102] Hyperpolarization at ambient temperature (room temperature) without cryogenic distillation 129 It is desirable to store Xe and also to store quantities of the cryogenically distilled gas.

[0103] When the energy gap between the nuclear spin states is increased (other parameters remain the same), the rate of relaxation decreases. 129 The device 10 uses the nuclear Zeeman effect to maintain a constant energy gap between the nuclear spin states of Xe. 129 The polarization apparatus 10 includes a storage facility 70 for storing Xe. The storage facility 70 is an internal storage facility that is an integral part of the polarization apparatus 10. The storage facility 70 has an integral B1 RF coil for measuring the polarization (dose equivalent) of a predetermined amount of dispersed gas.

[0104] The inventors also found that the magnetic flux change 129 Therefore, we have realized that Xe has a negative effect on hyperpolarization. 129 Steps were taken to store the Xe.

[0105] The inventors have also demonstrated the ability to direct hyperpolarization into reservoirs within a uniform magnetic field in a manner that avoids, prevents, or discourages crossing of the magnetic flux, and in some instances, induces, forces, or promotes migration parallel to the magnetic flux. 129 Steps were taken to enable (and facilitate) the movement of Xe.

[0106] We have found that reducing the rate of relaxation 129 A polarizer 10 with an integrated storage facility for Xe was constructed.

[0107] As shown in FIG. 1, the polarization device 10 includes: Noble gas 52 (e.g., 129 a spin-exchange optical pumping system (20) for hyperpolarization of Xe (Xe), the spin-exchange optical pumping system (20) comprising a magnetic field coil arrangement (30) configured to provide a static uniform magnetic field (32) used by the spin-exchange optical pumping system (20) within a static uniform magnetic field region (34); a storage holder 70 for storing the hyperpolarized noble gas 52 output from the spin exchange optical pump 20 in a gaseous state, the storage holder 70 being located outside the oven 46 of the spin exchange optical pump 20 and inside the static uniform magnetic field region 34, and providing a corresponding storage space 71 for storing and holding the hyperpolarized noble gas 52 produced by the spin exchange optical pump 20; The storage system has an integrated B1 RF coil for measuring the signal of a predetermined amount of dispensed gas.

[0108] In the example shown, the storage space 71 is neither heated nor cooled and is at ambient room temperature during use. The storage holder 70 is thermally insulated from the oven 46.

[0109] In the illustrated example, the entire storage space 71 is outside the oven 46 of the spin exchange optical pump 20 and inside the static uniform magnetic field region 34. The storage holder 70 is disposed in the space between the oven 46 of the spin exchange optical pump 20 and the magnetic field coil arrangement 30.

[0110] In the illustrated example, the magnetic field coils of the magnetic field coil arrangement 30 are arranged concentrically on a longitudinal (horizontal) axis and lie in a parallel transverse (vertical) plane perpendicular to the longitudinal (horizontal) axis, defining a magnetic field coil region having a constant cross-sectional area defined by the cross-sectional area of ​​the magnetic field coils in the parallel transverse (vertical) plane and a length defined by the maximum distance parallel to the longitudinal (horizontal) axis between the magnetic field coils of the magnetic field coil arrangement 30, the oven 46 of the spin exchange optical pump 20 extends parallel to the longitudinal (horizontal) axis within the magnetic field coil region, and the storage holder 70 is arranged within the magnetic field coil region in a transverse relationship to at least a portion of the oven 46 (vertically above at least a portion of the oven 46).

[0111] In the illustrated example, the polarizer 10 is housed on a transport trolley 100 having a chassis with wheels. The orientation of the polarizer 10 on the trolley 100 is such that the longitudinal axis is horizontal and the cross-section perpendicular to the longitudinal axis is vertical. However, other orientations are possible.

[0112] In the illustrated example, the hyperpolarized noble gas 52 (e.g., 129 Xe) is collected in bag 80 as described above. A predetermined amount of hyperpolarized noble gas 52 (e.g., 129 A bag 80 containing Xe) is stored in the storage holder 70.

[0113] In the illustrated example, the polarizer 10 directs the hyperpolarized noble gas 52 (e.g., 129 The storage support 70 is provided with an access route 74 that allows user placement of a hyperpolarized noble gas 52 (e.g., Xe). In the illustrated example, the access route 74 is oriented substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis and allows for placement of a hyperpolarized noble gas 52 (e.g., Xe). 129 The bag 80 has sufficient clearance (space) to allow passage of Xe) into the reservoir 70.

[0114] In the illustrated example, the storage space 71 of the storage holder 70 is accessed through an opening 72. In some examples, the opening comprises a door.

[0115] FIG. 3 shows an example of a storage support 70 for storing the hyperpolarized noble gas 52 output from the spin exchange optical pump 20 in the gas phase.

[0116] The container 80, e.g., a bag, contains a hyperpolarized noble gas (e.g., 129 Container 80 is moved into storage holder 70 through opening 72 along access route 74.

[0117] The polarizer 10 provides a non-ferromagnetic enclosure 76. The enclosure 76 is at least a partial enclosure in the sense that it may have a permanently open opening 72 to allow for the introduction and evacuation of a container 80 or for other purposes such as mass reduction. For example, the enclosure may be a metal (Faraday) cage in some instances.

[0118] The enclosure 76 for the storage holder 70 is designed to prevent access to the storage holder 70 across the magnetic flux lines of the static uniform magnetic field 32 .

[0119] The polarization device 10 detects the amount of hyperpolarized noble gas 52 (e.g., 129 The stored gas nuclear magnetic spectrometer is connected to a radio frequency B1 field coil arrangement 96.

[0120] The radio frequency B1 field coil arrangement 96 of the stored gas nuclear magnetic spectrometer is integrated with the storage holder 70. In this example, the radio frequency B1 field coil arrangement 96 is part of the housing 76.

[0121] As shown in FIG. 1, the housing 76 for the reservoir 70 is positioned to prevent access to the reservoir 70 via routes between adjacent field coils of the field coil arrangement 30 .

[0122] In FIG. 1, the apparatus 10 includes a spin-exchange optical pump 20 with a hyperpolarized noble gas 52 (e.g., 129 The nuclear magnetic spectrometer may comprise a radio frequency magnetic field coil arrangement for the analysis of Xe.

[0123] The radio frequency magnetic field coil arrangement of the production nuclear magnetic spectrometer is disposed in an orthogonal relationship to the radio frequency magnetic field coil arrangement 96 of the stored gas nuclear magnetic spectrometer. This allows for simultaneous operation of the stored gas nuclear magnetic spectrometer and the production nuclear magnetic spectrometer. For example, the magnetic field coil of the production nuclear magnetic spectrometer can be disposed in a substantially horizontal plane and the magnetic field coil of the stored gas nuclear magnetic spectrometer can be disposed in a substantially vertical plane, or vice versa.

[0124] The magnetic field coils of the production nuclear magnetic spectrometer may be positioned above the optical cell 50 inside the oven 46 .

[0125] The B1 magnetic field coil of the stored gas nuclear magnetic spectrometer may be disposed on the inner wall of the housing 76.

[0126] FIG. 4 illustrates a static magnetic field 32 and its corresponding static uniform magnetic field region 34 .

[0127] The storage holder 70 is sized and positioned so that the entire storage space 71 is completely contained within the static uniform magnetic field region 34. This allows the hyperpolarized noble gas (e.g., 129 The entire container 80, e.g., bag, holding the Xe) is completely contained within the static uniform magnetic field region 34.

[0128] The length of the storage space 71 in the longitudinal direction parallel to the static uniform magnetic field 34 is less than the length of the static uniform magnetic field region 34 in this direction.

[0129] The oven 46 and internal optical cell 50 of the spin exchange optical pumping system 20 are located inside the static uniform magnetic field region 34 .

[0130] The reservoir holder 70 is located outside the oven 46 of the spin exchange optical pump 20 and inside the static uniform magnetic field region 34 .

[0131] The access route 74 to the storage support 70 is along the static uniform magnetic field and has a longitudinal direction that is parallel to the static uniform magnetic field 32 .

[0132] In some examples, as shown in FIG. 6, the polarization device 10 may include a storage support 70 containing a hyperpolarized noble gas 52 (e.g., 129 Xe).

[0133] One or more guides 78 direct the hyperpolarized noble gas 52 (e.g., 129 Xe) from the reservoir 70. 129 The container 80 is shaped to facilitate controlled evacuation of the ion exchange gas (Xe).

[0134] The one or more guides 78 are shaped to follow the field lines of the magnetic field 32 generated by the field coil arrangement 30 .

[0135] 7 and 8, in at least some examples, the reservoir 70 includes a reservoir 90 having raised sides. The reservoir 70 includes a concave reservoir 90 in these examples.

[0136] The raised sides allow for the storage of hyperpolarized noble gas 52 (e.g., 129 The raised sides also prevent the container 80 from rolling off the storage holder 70.

[0137] The retaining pan 90 may be a passive retainer that relies on a local potential energy minimum to retain the container 80. However, in other examples, the retaining pan 90 is associated with an active retainer that additionally applies a force to retain the container 80, such as the tension of a stretched elastic restraint to hold the bag 80 in place.

[0138] The holding dish 90 has a hyperpolarized noble gas 52 (e.g., 129 1. The container 80, e.g., a bag, of Xe has a corresponding restraint 94 for holding the bag.

[0139] A hyperpolarized noble gas 52 (e.g., 129 The corresponding restraint 94 for holding the container 80 of hyperpolarized noble gas 52 (e.g., Xe) is elastically deformable. The elastic deformation of the restraint 94 allows the container 80 to accommodate the hyperpolarized noble gas 52 (e.g., Xe) on the holding pan 90. 129 8. The device 80 provides a holding force for holding a container (e.g., a bag) 80 of Xe.

[0140] A hyperpolarized noble gas 52 (e.g., 129A corresponding restraint 94 for retaining the bag 80 of hyperpolarized noble gas 52 includes a ring 92 for placement over the bag 80 of hyperpolarized noble gas 52 and a resilient member 94 attached to the ring 92, the resilient member 94 being sized to be stretched when the ring 92 is placed over the bag of hyperpolarized noble gas 52 while the bag is resting in the retaining dish 90 to provide a resilient force pulling the ring 92 toward the retaining dish 90 to retain the bag of hyperpolarized noble gas 52 on the retaining dish 90.

[0141] As shown in FIG. 8, the radio frequency magnetic field coil arrangement 96 of the stored gas nuclear magnetic spectrometer may be formed as part of the holding pan 90 .

[0142] FIG. 9 shows a gas phase hyperpolarized noble gas 52 (e.g., 129 1 shows an example of a method 500 for storing uranium (Xe).

[0143] At block 502, the method 500 uses a spin-exchange optical pump 20 to generate a hyperpolarized noble gas 52 (e.g., 129 Xe), and the spin exchange optical pump 20 comprises a magnetic field coil arrangement 30 configured to provide a static uniform magnetic field used by the spin exchange optical pump 20 within a uniform magnetic field region 34. 129 Xe).

[0144] At block 502, the method 500 comprises: 129 providing a storage container for storing Xe) in a vapor state, the storage container being located outside the spin exchange optical pump 20 and inside the uniform magnetic field region 34.

[0145] 10 shows an example of a controller 60 suitable for use in device 10. The implementation of controller 60 may be as a controller circuit. Controller 60 may be implemented solely in hardware, may have some aspects solely in software including firmware, or may be a combination of hardware and software (including firmware).

[0146] As shown in FIG. 10, the controller 60 may be implemented using instructions that enable hardware functions in, for example, a general-purpose or special-purpose processor 402 using executable instructions of a computer program 406 that may be stored on a computer-readable storage medium (disk, memory, etc.) to be executed by such processor 402.

[0147] Processor 402 is configured to read from and write to memory 404. Processor 402 may also include an output interface, through which data and / or commands are output by processor 402, and an input interface, through which data and / or commands are input to processor 402.

[0148] The memory 404 stores a computer program 406 comprising computer program instructions (computer program code) that, when loaded into the processor 402, control the operation of the device 10. The computer program instructions of the computer program 406 provide the logic and routines that enable the device to implement the methods illustrated in the accompanying figures. The processor 402 is able to load and execute the computer program 406 by reading the memory 404.

[0149] 11, the computer program 406 may arrive at the device 10 via any suitable distribution mechanism 408. The distribution mechanism 408 may be, for example, a machine-readable medium, a computer-readable medium, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, a computer program product, a memory device, a recording medium such as a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) or a digital versatile disc (DVD) or a solid-state memory, or an article of manufacture that comprises or tangibly embodies the computer program 406. The distribution mechanism may also be a signal configured to reliably transport the computer program 406. The device 10 may propagate or transmit the computer program 406 as a computer data signal.

[0150] The computer program instructions may be comprised in a computer program, a non-transitory computer-readable medium, a computer program product, or a machine-readable medium. In some, but not all, examples, the computer program instructions may be distributed across two or more computer programs.

[0151] Although memory 404 is illustrated as a single component / circuit, it may be implemented as one or more separate components / circuits, some or all of which may be integrated / removable and / or provide persistent / semi-persistent / dynamic / cached storage.

[0152] Although the processor 402 is shown as a single component / circuit, it may be implemented as one or more separate components / circuits, some or all of which may be integrated / removable. The processor 402 may be a single-core or multi-core processor.

[0153] References to "computer-readable storage medium," "computer program product," "tangibly embodied computer program," etc., or to "controller," "computer," "processor," etc., should be understood to encompass computers having different architectures, such as single- and multi-processor architectures and sequential (von Neumann) and parallel architectures, as well as special-purpose circuitry, such as field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific circuits (ASICs), signal processing devices, and other processing circuitry. References to computer programs, instructions, code, etc., should be understood to encompass software for programmable processors or firmware, e.g., the programmable content of a hardware device, whether instructions for a processor or configuration settings for a fixed-function device, gate array, or programmable logic device, etc.

[0154] The blocks illustrated in the accompanying figures may represent method steps and / or sections of code in the computer program 406. The illustration of a particular order to the blocks does not necessarily imply that there is a required or preferred order to the blocks, and the order and arrangement of the blocks may be changed. Moreover, it may be possible for some blocks to be omitted.

[0155] Where a structural feature is described, it may be replaced with a means for performing one or more of the functions of the structural feature, whether that function or functions are explicitly described or implicitly described.

[0156] As used herein, "module" refers to a unit or device excluding some parts / components that may be added by an end manufacturer or user. The storage holder 70 may be a module. The tray 90 may be a module. The entire device 10 may be modular.

[0157] The apparatus may be provided in an electronic device, such as a mobile terminal, in accordance with examples of the present disclosure. However, it should be understood that a mobile terminal is merely exemplary of an electronic device that would benefit from example implementations of the present disclosure and, therefore, should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure thereto. In some example implementations, the apparatus may be provided in a mobile terminal, but other types of electronic devices, such as, but not limited to, mobile communication devices, hand-portable electronic devices, wearable computing devices, personal digital assistants (PDAs), pagers, mobile computers, desktop computers, televisions, gaming devices, laptop computers, cameras, video recorders, GPS devices, and other types of electronic systems, may also readily employ examples of the present disclosure. Furthermore, devices may readily employ examples of the present disclosure regardless of whether they are intended to provide mobility.

[0158] The term "comprise" is used herein in an inclusive rather than exclusive sense. That is, a reference to X comprising Y indicates that X may comprise only one Y or may comprise two or more Ys. Where the exclusive sense of "comprise" is intended, this will be made clear in the context by a reference to "comprising only one..." or by using "consisting."

[0159] As used herein, the terms "connects," "couple," and "communication," as well as their derivatives, mean operatively connected / coupled / in communication. It should be understood that any number or combination of intervening components (including zero intervening components) may be present, that is, providing a direct or indirect connection / coupling / communication. Any such intervening components may include hardware and / or software components.

[0160] As used herein, the terms "determine / determining" (and grammatical variations thereof) may include, among other things, calculating, computing, processing, deriving, measuring, investigating, identifying, retrieving (e.g., looking up in a table, database, or another data structure), ascertaining, etc. Also, "determining" may include receiving (e.g., receiving information), accessing (e.g., accessing data in a memory), obtaining, etc. Also, "determining" may include resolving, selecting, choosing, establishing, etc.

[0161] Reference has been made in this specification to various examples. The description of a feature or function with respect to an example indicates that the feature or function is present in that example. The use of the terms "example" or "for example," or "can" or "may" in this text, whether explicitly stated or not, indicates that such feature or function is present in at least the described example, whether or not it is described as an example, and that it may, but is not necessarily, be present in some or all of the other examples. Hereby, "example," "for example," "can," or "may" refers to a particular instance of an example of a class. Properties of an instance may be properties of only that instance, or of the class, or of a subclass of the class that includes some, but not all, of the instances in the class. Thus, a feature described with respect to one example but not with respect to another example is implicitly disclosed to be usable in that other example, where possible, as part of an operative combination, but not necessarily having to be used in that other example.

[0162] Although examples have been described with respect to various examples in the preceding paragraphs, it should be understood that modifications to the examples presented can be made without departing from the scope of the claims.

[0163] Features set out in the preceding description may also be used in combinations other than those explicitly set out above.

[0164] Although functionality may be described with respect to some features, those functions may be implemented with other features, whether or not described.

[0165] Although features have been described with respect to some examples, those features may be present in other examples, whether or not they are described.

[0166] The terms "a," "an," or "the" are used herein in an inclusive rather than exclusive sense. That is, a reference to X with a Y / the Y indicates that X may have only one Y or may have two or more Ys, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. If the use of "a," "an," or "the" is intended to have an exclusive meaning, this will be made clear in the context. In some situations, the use of "at least one" or "one or more" may be used to emphasize an inclusive meaning, but the absence of these terms should not be interpreted as inferring an exclusive meaning.

[0167] The presence of a feature (or combination of features) in a claim is a reference to that feature or (combination of features) per se, and also to features that achieve substantially the same technical effect (equivalent features). Equivalent features include, for example, features that are variations and achieve substantially the same result in substantially the same way. Equivalent features include, for example, features that perform substantially the same function and achieve substantially the same result in substantially the same way.

[0168] Reference has been made throughout this specification to various example examples using adjectives or adjective phrases to describe characteristics of those examples. Such description of a characteristic with respect to an example indicates that the characteristic is present in some examples exactly as described and in other examples substantially as described.

[0169] While the above description has described several examples of the present disclosure, those skilled in the art will recognize possible alternative structures and method features that provide equivalent functionality to the specific examples of structures and features described herein above and that have been omitted from the above description for brevity and clarity. Nevertheless, the above description should be read as implicitly including reference to such alternative structures and method features that provide equivalent functionality, unless such alternative structures or method features are expressly excluded in the above description of examples of the present disclosure.

[0170] Although an effort has been made in the foregoing specification to draw attention to features believed to be important, it should be understood that the applicant may seek protection through the claims for any patentable feature or combination of features described above that are referenced and / or shown in the drawings, whether or not emphasis is placed thereon.

[0171] In this specification, words derived from "polarise" (British spelling) may be replaced with words derived from "polarize" (American spelling). In this specification, words derived from "centre" (British spelling) may be replaced with words derived from "center" (American spelling). In this specification, words derived from "vapour" (British spelling) may be replaced with words derived from "vapor" (American spelling). In this specification, words ending in "isation" (British spelling) may be replaced with words ending in "isation" (American spelling).

Claims

1. 1. A polarization apparatus comprising: a spin-exchange optical pump for hyperpolarization of a noble gas, the spin-exchange optical pump comprising, within a static uniform magnetic field region, a magnetic field coil arrangement configured to provide a static uniform magnetic field used by the spin-exchange optical pump; a storage holder for storing the hyperpolarized noble gas output from the spin exchange optical pump in a gaseous state, the storage holder being located outside the oven of the spin exchange optical pump and inside the static uniform magnetic field region, the storage holder providing a corresponding storage space for storing and holding the hyperpolarized noble gas generated by the spin exchange optical pump; A polarization device comprising:

2. 2. The polarizer of claim 1, wherein the storage holder is sized and positioned such that the entire storage space is entirely contained within the static uniform magnetic field region.

3. 3. The polarization apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the length of the storage space in a direction parallel to the static uniform magnetic field is shorter than the length of the static uniform magnetic field region in the same direction.

4. 4. The polarization apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the storage space is neither heated nor cooled and is in a room temperature environment during use.

5. 5. The polarization apparatus of claim 1, wherein the storage space is entirely outside the oven of the spin-exchange optical pump and inside the static homogeneous magnetic field region.

6. 6. A polarizer according to claim 1, wherein the storage holder is arranged in a space between an oven of the spin exchange optical pump and a magnetic field coil of the magnetic field coil arrangement.

7. the magnetic field coils of the magnetic field coil arrangement define a magnetic field coil region, the magnetic field coils being concentrically arranged on a longitudinal axis and lying in parallel transverse planes orthogonal to the longitudinal axis, the magnetic field coil region having a constant cross-sectional area defined by the cross-sectional areas of the magnetic field coils in the parallel transverse planes and a length defined by a maximum distance parallel to the longitudinal axis between the magnetic field coils of the magnetic field coil arrangement; an oven of the spin exchange optical pump extending parallel to the longitudinal axis within the magnetic field coil region, and the storage holder being arranged within the magnetic field coil region in a transverse relationship to at least a portion of the oven; A polarization device according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. the magnetic field coils of the magnetic field coil arrangement define a magnetic field coil region concentrically disposed on a longitudinal horizontal axis, lying in a parallel transverse vertical plane orthogonal to the longitudinal vertical axis, the magnetic field coil region having a constant cross-sectional area defined by the cross-sectional area of ​​the magnetic field coils in the parallel transverse vertical plane and a length defined by a maximum distance parallel to the longitudinal horizontal axis between the magnetic field coils of the magnetic field coil arrangement; an oven of the spin exchange optical pump extends parallel to the longitudinal horizontal axis within the magnetic field coil region; and the storage holder is vertically disposed within the magnetic field coil region above at least a portion of the oven. A polarization device according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. 9. A polarizer according to any one of claims 5 to 8, wherein the reservoir holder is thermally insulated from the oven.

10. 10. The polarization device of claim 1, wherein the polarization device provides an access route to the storage holder that allows placement of hyperpolarized noble gas within the storage holder in a direction parallel to the static uniform magnetic field.

11. 11. A polarization device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the polarization device provides an access route to the storage support into and through the static uniform magnetic field in a longitudinal direction that is parallel to the static uniform magnetic field.

12. 12. The polarizer of claim 1, wherein the polarizer provides the storage holder with an at least partially non-ferromagnetic housing that prevents access to the storage holder across the static uniform magnetic field.

13. 13. The polarization device of claim 1, wherein the polarization device provides the storage holder with an at least partially non-ferromagnetic housing that prevents access to the storage holder via routes between adjacent magnetic field coils of the magnetic field coil arrangement.

14. 14. A polariser according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the polariser provides one or more guides to guide a user's placement of the hyperpolarised noble gas in the storage support.

15. 15. The polarization apparatus of claim 14, wherein the one or more guides are shaped to facilitate controlled introduction of hyperpolarized noble gas bags into the storage holder and controlled discharge of hyperpolarized noble gas bags from the storage holder.

16. 16. A polarising apparatus according to claim 14 or 15, wherein the one or more guides are shaped to follow the magnetic field lines of the field coil arrangement.

17. 17. A polarisation apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 16, comprising a stored gas nuclear magnetic spectrometer for analysis of the hyperpolarised noble gas when stored in the storage holder.

18. a production nuclear magnetic spectrometer for analysis of the hyperpolarized noble gas in the optical cell of the spin exchange optical pump, wherein a radio frequency magnetic field coil arrangement of the production nuclear magnetic spectrometer is arranged in an orthogonal relationship to the radio frequency magnetic field coil arrangement of the storage gas nuclear magnetic spectrometer to enable simultaneous operation of the storage gas nuclear magnetic spectrometer and the production nuclear magnetic spectrometer; 18. A polarizer according to claim 17.

19. 19. A polarisation apparatus according to claim 17 or 18, wherein the radio frequency magnetic field coil arrangement of the stored gas nuclear magnetic spectrometer is integrated with the storage holder.

20. The storage holder comprises a holding tray; the holding pan has raised sides; and / or the holding pan is concave, and / or the pan has a corresponding restraint for holding a bag of hyperpolarized noble gas on the pan; and / or the pan has a corresponding restraint for holding a bag of hyperpolarized noble gas on the pan, the corresponding restraint for holding a bag of hyperpolarized noble gas on the pan being elastically deformable, the elastic deformation of the restraint providing a retention force for holding the bag of hyperpolarized noble gas on the pan; and / or the holding dish has a corresponding restraint for holding a bag of hyperpolarized noble gas on the holding dish, the corresponding restraint for holding a bag of hyperpolarized noble gas on the holding dish comprising: a ring for placement over the bag of hyperpolarized noble gas; and a resilient member attached to the ring, the resilient member being sized to stretch when the ring is placed over the bag of hyperpolarized noble gas to provide a resilient force pulling the ring toward the holding dish to hold the bag of hyperpolarized noble gas on the holding dish.

20. A polariser according to any one of claims 1 to 19.

21. 21. A polarizer according to claim 20, wherein a radio frequency magnetic field coil arrangement of a stored gas nuclear magnetic spectrometer is formed as part of the holding pan.

22. the spin exchange optical pump a circularly polarized light source, an optical cell for containing an alkali metal and arranged for illumination by said circularly polarized light source; an oven for heating the optical cell to a temperature sufficient to vaporize the alkali metal; an input for introducing a gas including a noble gas; an output for discharging the gas containing the noble gas after hyperpolarization; Equipped with 22. A polariser according to any one of claims 1 to 21.

23. the spin exchange optical pump １２９ configured for said hyperpolarization of Xe; and / or the spin-exchange optical pump comprises a laser configured for Rb electron spin polarization; 23. A polariser according to any one of claims 1 to 22.

24. 24. A polariser according to any one of claims 1 to 23, configured for cryogenic collection and bagging of hyperpolarised noble gas prior to storage in the storage holder and / or housed on a transport trolley.

25. 1. A method comprising:

1. Producing a hyperpolarized noble gas using a spin-exchange optical pump, generating a hyperpolarized noble gas, wherein the spin exchange optical pump comprises a magnetic field coil arrangement configured to provide a static uniform magnetic field used by the spin exchange optical pump within a uniform magnetic field region; providing a storage container for storing the hyperpolarized noble gas output from the spin exchange optical pump in a gas phase, the storage container being located outside the spin exchange optical pump and inside the uniform magnetic field region; A method comprising:

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