The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 16, 2026
Filed:
Mar. 29, 2024
Synaptive Medical, Inc., Toronto, CA;
Geron André Bindseil, London, CA;
William Bradfield Handler, London, CA;
Abstract
A thermal switch for thermally shorting the first and second stage of a cold head during early stages of cooldown of an MRI magnet for reducing the total cooldown time is disclosed. The thermal switch provides a thermal connection between the first and second stage of the cold head, and so the thermal shield and the cold mass are cooled down with the higher power of the first stage of the cold head while the overall temperature is greater than a threshold temperature. When the temperature drops below the threshold, the thermal connection becomes disconnected and then the cold mass is connected thermally only to the second stage, and the first stage remains connected to the thermal shield but isolated from the cold mass. This disconnection may be achieved passively, such as differential thermal contraction between cooling contacts and a support structure made from a different material.