System and method for hyperpolarizing a substance and quenching radicals therein
AssigneesGeneral Electric Company, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
InventorsArnaud Comment, Albert P. Chen, Kayvan Rahimi Keshari
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Abstract
A system for hyperpolarizing a substance is provided. The system includes a cryostat, a polarizer, and a shuttle. The cryostat is operative to generate radicals within the substance by exposing the substance to electromagnetic radiation. The polarizer is operative to hyperpolarize the substance via the radicals, and to quench the radicals within the substance by adjusting a temperature of the substance after the substance has been hyperpolarized. The shuttle is operative to transport the substance while maintaining hyperpolarization of the substance.
Claims19
A system for hyperpolarizing a substance comprising:
- a cryostat operative to generate radicals within the substance by exposing the substance to electromagnetic radiation;
- a polarizer operative to hyperpolarize the substance via the radicals, and to quench the radicals within the substance by adjusting a temperature of the substance after the substance has been hyperpolarized;
- a shuttle operative to transport the substance while maintaining hyperpolarization of the substance;
- and
- an exchange switch operative to facilitate movement of the substance between the cryostat, the polarizer, and the shuttle.
A method of hyperpolarizing a substance comprising:
- generating radicals within the substance by exposing the substance to electromagnetic radiation while disposed in a cryostat;
- moving the substance between the cryostat and a shuttle via an exchange switch;
- moving the substance between the shuttle and a polarizer via the exchange switch;
- hyperpolarizing the substance via the radicals using the polarizer;
- quenching the radicals within the substance by adjusting the temperature of the substance after the substance has been hyperpolarized;
- and
- storing the substance within the shuttle,
- wherein the shuttle is operative to facilitate transport of the substance while maintaining hyperpolarization of the substance.
A shuttle for transporting a hyperpolarized substance comprising:
- a body having a magnet disposed therein;
- a chamber disposed within the body and operative to store the substance;
- and
- an integrated cryostat that is operative to generate radicals in the substance via exposing the substance to electromagnetic radiation;
- wherein the magnet is operative to generate a magnetic field that maintains the substance in a hyperpolarized state.
A system for hyperpolarizing a substance comprising:
- a packet generator operative to generate packets of the substance;
- a cryostat operative to generate radicals within the substance by exposing the substance to electromagnetic radiation;
- a polarizer operative to hyperpolarize the substance via the radicals, and to quench the radicals within the substance by adjusting a temperature of the substance after the substance has been hyperpolarized;
- a shuttle operative to transport the substance while maintaining hyperpolarization of the substance.
A method of hyperpolarizing a substance comprising:
- generating packets of the substance via a packet generator;
- generating radicals within the substance by exposing the substance to electromagnetic radiation while disposed in a cryostat;
- hyperpolarizing the substance via the radicals using a polarizer;
- quenching the radicals within the substance by adjusting the temperature of the substance after the substance has been hyperpolarized;
- and
- storing the substance within a shuttle operative to facilitate transport of the substance while maintaining hyperpolarization of the substance.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.