Cryostat devices for magnetic resonance imaging and methods for making
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current cryostat devices for MRI systems face challenges in maintaining an improved temperature holding capacity and efficient manufacturing methods, which affect the performance and reliability of superconducting coils in magnetic resonance imaging systems.
Innovation Solution
A cryostat design incorporating an inner vessel, an outer vessel, and a thermal shield with a connecting component that includes a plurality of connectors, along with a cooling assembly featuring a heat exchanger, refrigeration device, and recycling container to manage cryogen flow and temperature control, enhancing the cryostat's temperature maintenance and manufacturing efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a traditional cryostat design with multiple vessels is used, then the temperature holding capacity is maintained, but the manufacturing complexity and time are increased
Solution Approach 1:
The thermal shield is divided into an internal cylinder and an external cylinder that are separately manufactured and then connected. This segmentation allows each component to be produced independently using standard manufacturing processes, reducing overall manufacturing complexity while maintaining the thermal shielding function that preserves temperature holding capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The internal cylinder is positioned inside the external cylinder, creating a nested structure that provides effective thermal shielding. This nested configuration maintains the temperature holding capacity by creating thermal barriers without requiring a completely new complex design, as it builds upon the traditional multi-vessel cryostat architecture.
2Reliability
If a traditional cryostat design with multiple vessels is used, then the temperature holding capacity is maintained, but the manufacturing time is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The internal and external cylinders are prepared and manufactured in advance as separate components before final assembly. This preliminary preparation of modular components significantly reduces the actual assembly time and manufacturing cycle, while the resulting assembled structure maintains the required temperature holding capacity through its thermal shield configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
By segmenting the thermal shield into separately manufacturable internal and external cylinders, the manufacturing process can be parallelized and optimized independently for each component, reducing total manufacturing time while preserving the thermal performance necessary for temperature holding capacity.
3Reliability
If superconducting coils are operated at low temperature, then their superconducting state is maintained, but cryogen consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The thermal shield structure, which could potentially conduct heat, is strategically designed to create thermal barriers that reduce heat exchange between the outer and inner vessels. This converts the potential harmful thermal conduction into a beneficial thermal insulation effect, maintaining the superconducting state while reducing cryogen consumption by minimizing heat ingress.
Solution Approach 2:
The thermal shield utilizes the composite structure of internal and external cylinders with connecting components to create effective thermal barriers. This composite configuration reduces heat transfer to the cryogen, thereby maintaining the superconducting state of the coils while reducing the rate of cryogen evaporation and consumption.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The proposed cryostat design effectively maintains low temperatures for superconducting coils, improving their superconducting state and reducing cryogen consumption, thereby enhancing the performance and cost-effectiveness of MRI systems.
Implementation Method 1
a thermal shield configured between the outer vessel and the inner vessel
Implementation Method 2
at least one heat exchanger configured to absorb heat generated by the one or more superconducting coils using a cryogen
Implementation Method 3
the cryostat may include a cryogen (e.g., liquid helium) configured to keep the superconducting coils under a low working temperature
Data Source
AI summary
The cryostat may include an inner vessel configured to accommodate one or more superconducting coils, an outer vessel encompassing the inner vessel, and a thermal shield configured between the outer vessel and the inner vessel. The thermal shield may include an internal cylinder having a first end and an external cylinder encompassing the internal cylinder, the external cylinder having a second end. The thermal shield may also include a seal head configured between the internal cylinder and the external cylinder, the seal head having a first edge and a second edge. The thermal shield may further include a connecting component including a plurality of connectors. Each of the plurality of connectors may be configured to connect the first end of the internal cylinder with the first edge of the seal head and/or the second end of the external cylinder with the second edge of the seal head.