4 ms·
Out of curiosity, what are the cost cutting changes you're making? I've wondered why there are no MRIs using high temperature super conductors yet, it seems li
by arijun 10y ago
Out of curiosity, what are the cost cutting changes you're making?
I've wondered why there are no MRIs using high temperature super conductors yet, it seems like such an obvious way to cut costs (as you don't need the extreme cryogenics).
- highd 10y agoI can't go too much into details, but suffice it to say that we're not using super conductors at all. High T super conductors will be very interesting in the next decade, I think, but right now there are a few issues that I'm aware of: 1) The high T super conductors are almost all crystals, not ductile metals. This means it can be very difficult to form coils or other structures out of them. 2) High T super conductors generally can't withstand as high a magnetic field as the lower T super conductors. I'm not sure how practical a concern this is for MRI. The benefit of High T super conductors is that you switch from using liquid helium as your cryogen to liquid nitrogen. This is a major simplification, but we're not all the way to room temp yet, unfortunately.
- givinguflac 10y agoBest of luck! I sincerely hope you're successful.
- highd 10y agoThank you!
- danarlow 10y agoThere several manufacturers of YBCO wire now, e.g. http://www.superpower-inc.com/content/2g-hts-wire http://www.superpower-inc.com/content/2g-hts-wire
- Baeocystin 10y agoThe specs given by the wire you linked is much more impressed than I would have guessed. Particularly the ability to maintain performance at tight radius. Glad to see things are progressing!
- highd 10y agoInteresting, I'll have to get a quote and run some numbers.
- Baeocystin 10y agoAnything public-facing that you can share with us, so I can follow along over time? I find such work both fascinating & important.
- highd 10y agoThe company is called High Q Imaging. We have a bare bones website that we'll hopefully update in the next month or so: http://www.highqimaging.com/ http://www.highqimaging.com/
- Baeocystin 10y agoThanks!