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Cryostat for High-Resolution Magnetic Resonance Imaging |
July 1999
This month we highlight a series of cryostats developed for intraoperative magnetic
resonance imaging (MRI) by groups at Columbia University, Duke University, and DuPont.
These cryostats are used to cool a set of high temperature superconducting (HTSC)
radio-frequency receiver coils located near the patient or object to be imaged.
TSC receiver coils can produce the highest resolution images for the clinician, but place stringent requirements on the cryostat used to cool the coils in order that image quality is preserved. Here a specially-designed, non-magnetic vacuum tail is used to enclose the coils. The mechanical strength of this material under evacuation is critical to proper function as the coils are placed quite close to the inner wall of the vacuum tail. The tail is also translucent and provides the operator with ability to visually position the coils with respect to the patient. The coils are thermally anchored to a non-metallic substrate, and are able to be
translated via the precision manipulators at the top of the cryostat (i.e., on the right hand side of the photo below). The cryostat is also easy to operate as it employs Janis' SuperTran technology.
A list of references is available. Contact Janis for details.
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