Incredible things can happen when the right technologies are combined. Combine High Vacuum, Magnets and Cryogenics and welcome to the world of Super Conducting Magnets!
This combination of technologies has advanced medical diagnosis in so many positive ways. What we are discussing, is Magnetic Resonance Imagining (MRI). Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is by far the biggest commercial use of superconducting magnets in the world.
Key High is proud to have worked hand in hand, with the manufacturers of MRI equipment. MRI’s are used as a diagnostic tool by medical professionals to look inside the human body for tumors, soft tissue damage, ligament tears, etc. The MRI looks inside the human body without exposing humans to the dangerous effects of radiation.
The magic of the MRI is the Superconducting Magnet. A Super Conducting Magnet has no resistance to electricity. Super Conduction is realized by cooling the magnet to -452º Fahrenheit. This is done by using liquid helium.
How are MRI machines constructed? What they actually are, is a vessel with an outer jacket. This is known as a cryostat.The inner vessel contains the magnet and liquid helium. The outer jacket must be under a high vacuum. The high vacuum creates the necessary thermal insulation barrier. This protects the liquid helium within the inner vessel from boiling off.
Key High manufactured custom pumping stations for the Original Equipment Manufacturers of MRI equipment. These pumping stations generated the necessary thermal insulation barrier. These pumping stations used our “QBV” series butterfly valves, and our “LNT” series liquid nitrogen traps, to create the required thermal insulation barrier necessary to preserve the liquid helium.;
Key High’s “QBV” butterfly valves and Key High’s “LNT” series traps were used for two specific purposes; to remove the large volume of gas within the outer jacket (“QBV” series), and deal with the enormous, initial outgassing of the magnets (“LNT” series).
Our “QBV” butterfly valves feature a narrow width, straight through flow path, and a large bore to take full advantage of available pumping speed.
The Key High “LNT” liquid nitrogen traps are capture traps. Liquid nitrogen traps capture large volumes of condensable gas vapors quickly and efficiently. “LNT” traps should be the first choice for capturing water vapor, which typically is the largest gas load present within any vacuum chamber.
The end results of integrating these two components into the pumping carts? Base pressures were achieved 50% faster. Additionally PM cycles on the backing pumps of the carts were greatly extended. This was due to the decreased gas loads of solvents and water vapor the backing pumps were exposed to.
