Siemens Healthcare Gmbh

Siemens Corporation

Michael Simpkins

Jonathan Noys

Simon James Calvert

Adrian Mark Thomas

Nicholas Mann

M'Hamed Lakrimi

Marcel Kruip

Simon Chorley

Martin Howard Hempstead

Neil John Belton

Rodrigo Ormeno

Neil Charles Tigwell

Adam Paul Johnstone

Trevor Bryan Husband

Mark James Le Feuvre

William James Bickell

Graeme Hyson

John Anthony Robert Teah

Richard Gowland

Paul Lewis

Malcolm Faithfull

Kevin Paul Wastie

Martin Gambling

Ashley Fulham

A superconducting magnet device including a plurality of superconducting magnet coils; a structural element mechanically and thermally linked to respective magnet coils to retain them in respective relative positions; and a cooling station thermally connected to a cryogenic refrigerator and to the structural element. A thermally conductive path, which passes through the structural element, is established between the cryogenic refrigerator and the superconducting magnet coils through the structural element.

Thermal buses for cryogenic applications

A current lead for supplying current to a superconducting device, the current lead having a high temperature superconductor (HTS) conductor extending along a length of the current lead, the HTS conductor thermally and electrically joined to an electrical shunt. Voltage taps are connected to respective ends of the HTS conductor for connection to a quench heater in thermal contact with a superconducting device. A quench in the HTS conductor gives rise to a voltage appearing between the voltage taps, and the voltage is applied to the quench heater to give rise to quench within the superconducting device.

Superconductor current leads

An assembly having a cylindrical structure supported by a support structure having at least one support element, the support structure being cradle shaped, such that vertical and horizontal loads are taken largely as shear forces by respective interface surfaces which are substantially parallel to the direction of the respective load, and vertical loads are taken in a direction substantially tangential to the cylindrical surface of the cylindrical structure.

Assembly comprising a cylindrical structure supported by a support structure

An arrangement for cryogenic cooling includes a cryogen tank, a cryogenic recondensing refrigerator arranged to cool a heat exchanger that is exposed to the interior of the cryogen tank, and an arrangement for conducting heat from a cooled article to the cryogen tank. A further cryogen tank is provided below the heat exchanger and arranged to receive cryogen liquid recondensed on the heat exchanger.

Arrangement for cryogenic cooling

An arrangement for mounting a two stage cryogenic refrigerator into a cryostat has a vacuum sock accommodates at least a part of the refrigerator, attachment means and attaches an upper part of the refrigerator to a surface of the cryostat around an opening of the vacuum sock, a thermally conductive portion of a wall of the vacuum sock that, in use, is thermally and mechanically in contact with a second cooling stage of the refrigerator, and arrangements are provided that thermally connect a first stage of the refrigerator to a thermal radiation shield of the cryostat.

Thermal contact between cryogenic refrigerators and cooled components

A current feed-through has a mounting feature, a member accessible from both sides of the mounting feature and an electrical isolator, connecting the mounting feature and the member in respective positions, to ensure mechanical integrity and electrical isolation between the mounting feature and the member.

Current feed-through

An arrangement for mounting a two stage cryogenic refrigerator () into a cryostat, the arrangement comprising a vacuum sock () for accommodating at least a part of the refrigerator, attachment means () for attaching an upper part of the refrigerator to a surface () of the cryostat around an opening of the vacuum sock, a thermally conductive portion () of a wall of the vacuum sock which, in use, is thermally and mechanically in contact with a second cooling stage () of the refrigerator, and arrangements () are provided for thermally connecting a first stage () of the refrigerator to a thermal radiation shield () of the cryostat.

An assembly has a two-stage cryogenic refrigerator and an associated mounting arrangement, and a sock having first and second stages corresponding to first and second stages of the refrigerator, with the first stage of the refrigerator being in thermal contact with the first stage of the sock and the second stage of the refrigerator being in thermal contact with the second stage of the sock.

Assembly comprising a two-stage cryogenic refrigerator and associated mounting arrangement

A superconducting magnet structure has a number of axially aligned superconducting inner magnet coils that form an inner magnet structure (30) and a number of superconducting outer coils each having an inner diameter greater than an outer diameter of each of the inner magnet coils. The inner magnet structure is enclosed within a cryogen vessel, and the outer coils are located outside of the cryogen vessel, in thermal contact with a cooling arrangement for cooling the outer coils.

Cooling arrangement for a superconducting magnet structure for an MRI system

A cylindrical superconducting magnet has a number of axially-aligned annular coils of superconducting wire, arranged for cooling by thermal conduction through a cooled surface in mechanical contact with the coils. The coils are provided with a cryogenic radiation shield located between respective radially inner surfaces of the coils and respective axes of the coils. The cryogenic radiation shield is formed of a metal layer in thermal contact with the cooled surface.

Superconducting magnets with thermal radiation shields

A superconducting joint and a cooling surface are provided as a combination. The superconducting joint joins superconducting wires each comprising superconducting filaments electrically joined together. The cooling surface comprises a thermally and electrically conductive material. An electrically isolating surface coating is provided on the cooling surface. The superconducting joint, the surface coating and the cooling surface are in thermal contact. The superconducting joint is electrically isolated from the cooling surface by the surface coating. The tails of the superconducting wires are wrapped around the electrically isolating surface coating.

Superconducting joints

A mounting plate for locating under a superconducting magnet structure, between the superconducting magnet structure and a supporting surface of a mobile carrier, is controllable between two different states. In a first state, the mount provides rigid attachment and precise location of the superconducting magnet structure onto the supporting surface of the mobile carrier. In a second state, the mount provides vibration isolation between the superconducting magnet and the mobile carrier.

Vibration isolation for superconducting magnets

In a cold superconducting joint, a joint cup is provided. Lengths of superconducting filaments are placed in the joint cup. A superconducting material fills the joint cup in contact with the superconducting filaments and in thermal and mechanical contact with a pipe carrying a cryogen. The pipe extends into the joint cup and the superconducting material extends around the pipe within the joint cup.

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Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom

Michael Simpkins