Other

General Electric Company

Ge Medical Systems Global Technology Company, LLC

Roy A Mangano

Gregory Alan Lehmann

Longzhi Jiang

Mark O Derakhshan

Edwin L Legall

Clifford J Ginfrida

In-Hua Xu

Deborah R Mantone

Kathleen W McGuinness

John A Urbhan

David G Reeves

Greogory A Lehmann

Systems and methods are provided for a variable cooling capacity cryocooler for a superconducting magnetic resonance imaging device having a liquid cryogen pressure vessel to provide cryogenic temperatures to a magnet assembly, a vacuum vessel surrounding the pressure vessel and a radiation shield spaced from the cryogen pressure vessel, and a pressure sensor positioned inside the cryogen pressure vessel pressure boundary for sensing pressure variations. A controller for varying the heat removal rate of the cryocooler based on the pressure variations in the cryogen pressure vessel and where the cooling capacity of the cryocooler is adjusted by modifying the speed of the electric power drive (DC or AC motors) or by changing the mechanical transmission ratio between the constant speed electric power drive and the cryocooler displacer/piston to adjust the cooler oscillating frequency of the gas flow. The invention can be adapted to magnets or non magnets systems using Stirling, Gifford-McMahon ('GM') and Pulse Tube ('PT') cooler systems. The system will extend component end of life and provide a controllable constant pressure improving image quality for superconducting MRI magnets.

Apparatus and method for controlling a cryocooler by adjusting cooler gas flow oscillating frequency

A system and method for de-icing a recondensor includes at least one heating element configured to melt iced particles from a recondensing system. A power delivery circuit is included configured to deliver power to the at least one resistive heating element such that the at least one resistive heating element delivers a supply of heat sufficient to melt the iced particles from the recondensing system.

System and method for de-icing recondensor for liquid cooled zero-boil-off MR magnet

A magnetic resonance assembly comprising, a liquid cryogen vessel, a liquid cryogen cooled conducting magnet disposed within the liquid cryogen vessel, a closed vaccum vessel surrounding the liquid cryogen vessel and spaced from the liquid cryogen vessel, a cooling device fixably attached to the vacuum vessel operable for providing cryogenic temperatures to the superconducting magnet, a heat exchanger device in thermal contact with the liquid cryogen vessel operable for heat exchange, and a bus bar in thermal contact with the cooling device and the heat exchanger device. The cooling device may be a pulse tube cryocooler capable of providing temperatures of about 4 K. A thermal bus bar of high purity aluminum or copper is used to connect and provide a spatial separation of a pulse tube cryocooler and a remote recondenser unit, thus reducing the overall height of the magnet assembly.

Pulse tube cryocooler system for magnetic resonance superconducting magnets

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Florence, SC, United States of America

Roy A Mangano