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Simply making liquid nitrogen MRI machine (instead of liquid helium) would be a billion dollar revolution. Electrically cooled like a house freezer, -23C MRI ma

by Yizahi 3y ago

Simply making liquid nitrogen MRI machine (instead of liquid helium) would be a billion dollar revolution. Electrically cooled like a house freezer, -23C MRI machine would a be a world changing trillion dollar revolution.

phkahler 3y ago
>> Simply making liquid nitrogen MRI machine (instead of liquid helium) would be a billion dollar revolution. But we already have liquid nitrogen superconductors and they aren't used in MRI machines. I think the reason is something-something current density something - that they aren't suitable for that particular use for some other reason.
- PoignardAzur 3y ago
  The twitter post has a typo. The poster meant without liquid nitrogen, eg with a retail freezer.
mariusor 3y ago
Forgive my ignorance but how does liquid Nitrogen (which has a boiling temperature of ~190Celsius) translate to the -23C you mention ?
- Yizahi 3y ago
  I was mentioning two possible inventions, separately: 1. Superconductors that retain their properties above -190C but not much higher. It is more probable scenario and would be a huge win on its own. 2. Superconductors at -23C. This ones obviously doesn't need liquid gasses to operate, and so would be even more revolutionary (more compact, cheaper and efficient). But it is unlikely (to me) that we can see such a techlogical leap in one go, without first finding something that works between -23 and -190.
jncfhnb 3y ago
Why would that be a trillion dollar revolution?
- Yizahi 3y ago
  If we could move from liquid helium to liquid nitrogen cooled magnets, then the cost of such machine (total cost, both capital and operational) will drop a lot. Countries deploying MRI machines today could increase coverage and lessen wait times. My relative recently waited 2 months for non urgent MRI (assigned by doctor). Some countries have it even worse. And MRI which can be cooled with a conventional electric freezer would cost order of magnitude less, probably. Which mean it could be deployed even in the rural regions and underdeveloped countries, like some x-ray machine today (it is more complex tool of course, this was a metaphor). So that's the gist of it, reducing the infrastructure costs significantly. And the interesting thing about diagnostic healthcare is that their potential market is a perfect circle of all humans on the planet. The maximum possible market, because we all get old, ill and die eventually. All need better diagnostics, but not all needs a new car or new computer or new gun, or new chat application.

by Yizahi 3y ago

phkahler 3y ago

>> Simply making liquid nitrogen MRI machine (instead of liquid helium) would be a billion dollar revolution. But we already have liquid nitrogen superconductors and they aren't used in MRI machines. I think the reason is something-something current density something - that they aren't suitable for that particular use for some other reason.

PoignardAzur 3y ago
The twitter post has a typo. The poster meant without liquid nitrogen, eg with a retail freezer.

mariusor 3y ago

Forgive my ignorance but how does liquid Nitrogen (which has a boiling temperature of ~190Celsius) translate to the -23C you mention ?

Yizahi 3y ago
I was mentioning two possible inventions, separately: 1. Superconductors that retain their properties above -190C but not much higher. It is more probable scenario and would be a huge win on its own. 2. Superconductors at -23C. This ones obviously doesn't need liquid gasses to operate, and so would be even more revolutionary (more compact, cheaper and efficient). But it is unlikely (to me) that we can see such a techlogical leap in one go, without first finding something that works between -23 and -190.

jncfhnb 3y ago

Why would that be a trillion dollar revolution?

Yizahi 3y ago
If we could move from liquid helium to liquid nitrogen cooled magnets, then the cost of such machine (total cost, both capital and operational) will drop a lot. Countries deploying MRI machines today could increase coverage and lessen wait times. My relative recently waited 2 months for non urgent MRI (assigned by doctor). Some countries have it even worse. And MRI which can be cooled with a conventional electric freezer would cost order of magnitude less, probably. Which mean it could be deployed even in the rural regions and underdeveloped countries, like some x-ray machine today (it is more complex tool of course, this was a metaphor). So that's the gist of it, reducing the infrastructure costs significantly. And the interesting thing about diagnostic healthcare is that their potential market is a perfect circle of all humans on the planet. The maximum possible market, because we all get old, ill and die eventually. All need better diagnostics, but not all needs a new car or new computer or new gun, or new chat application.