# US 12,179,206 B2 · Cryostat with improved accessibility for experiments > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,179,206 B2 - Document ID: US12179206B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/474,021 - Filed: 2021-09-13 - Published: 2021-12-30 - Granted: 2024-12-31 - Earliest claimed: 2019-03-12 - Assignees: Pressure Wave Systems GmbH - Applicants: Pressure Wave Systems GmbH - Inventors: Jens Hoehne - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12179206B2 ## CPC - B01L 7/50: {Cryostats} - F25D 19/006: {Thermal coupling structure or interface} - F17C 3/085: {Cryostats} - F25B 9/02: using Joule-Thompson effect; using vortex effect - F25B 9/10: with several cooling stages - F25B 9/12: using 3He-4He dilution - F25B 9/14: characterised by the cycle used, e.g. Stirling cycle - F25B 9/145: {pulse-tube cycle} - B01L 2300/1894: Cooling means; Cryo cooling - F25B 2500/13: Vibrations - B01L: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE - F25D: REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (refrigerated showcases A47F3/04; thermally-insulated vessels for domestic use A47J41/00; refrigerated vehicles, see the appropriate subclasses of classes B60 - B64; containers with thermal insulation in general B65D81/38; heat-transfer, heat-exchange or heat-storage materials, e.g. refrigerants, or materials for the production of heat or cold by chemical reactions other than by combustion C09K5/00; thermally-insulated vessels for liquefied or solidified gases F17C; air-conditioning or air-humidification F24F; refrigeration machines, plants, or systems F25B; cooling of instruments or comparable apparatus without refrigeration G12B) - F17C: VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES (storing fluids in natural or artificial cavities or chambers in the earth B65G5/00; construction or assembling of bulk storage containers employing civil-engineering techniques E04H7/00; variable-capacity gas-holders F17B; liquefaction or refrigeration machines, plants, or systems F25) - F25B: REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS ## Abstract A cryostat with improved accessibility for experiments includes a cooling device, a vacuum chamber and multiple cooling levels, heat shields and experimentation places. The cooling device is thermally coupled to cooling levels that have different temperatures. The experimentation places are at the temperatures of the cooling levels and are arranged side by side when viewed from above such that each experimentation place is accessible from above and from the side. Each cooling level has an associated heat shield that also encloses an experimentation place. The vacuum chamber encloses the cooling levels. The cold plate of a second cooling level is arranged above the cold plate of a first cooling level such that a portion of the first cold plate protrudes laterally from under the second cold plate. An experimentation place is disposed above the protruding portion of the first cold plate and is accessible from above and from the side. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A cryostat, comprising: a first cold plate that forms a first base of a first experimental place; a first heat shield that encloses the first experimental place, wherein the first cold plate and the first experimental place are surrounded by the first heat shield and form a first cooling level; a second cold plate that forms a second base of a second experimental place; a second heat shield that encloses the second experimental place, wherein the second cold plate and the second experimental place are surrounded by the second heat shield and form a second cooling level, wherein the second cold plate and the second heat shield are enclosed by the first heat shield such that the second cooling level is enclosed by the first cooling level; a vacuum chamber that encloses the first cooling level and the second cooling level; a cryo-cooler that is thermally coupled to the first cold plate and the second cold plate, wherein the first cold plate and the second cold plate are arranged side by side in the same plane, and wherein the first experimental place and the second experimental place are arranged side by side such that they are accessible after removal of the first heat shield and the second heat shield from all sides except the side of the first cold plate and the second cold plate. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The cryostat of claim 1, wherein the cryo-cooler comprises a first cooler portion and a second cooler portion, wherein the first cooler portion is thermally coupled by a first heat conductor to the first cold plate, and wherein the second cooler portion is thermally coupled by a second heat conductor to the second cold plate. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The cryostat of claim 2, wherein the first cooler portion is a Gifford-McMahon cooler or a pulse tube refrigerator; and wherein the second cooler portion is a Joule-Thomson cooler. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The cryostat of claim 2, wherein the first cooler portion and the second cooler portion are first and second levels of a Gifford-McMahon cooler. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The cryostat of claim 2, wherein the first cooler portion and the second cooler portion are first and second levels of a pulse tube refrigerator. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The cryostat of claim 2, further comprising: a third cold plate that forms a third base of a third experimental place; and a third heat shield that encloses the third experimental place, wherein the third cold plate and the third experimental place are surrounded by the third heat shield and form a third cooling level, wherein the third cold plate and the third heat shield are enclosed by the second heat shield such that the third cooling level is enclosed by the second cooling level, wherein the vacuum chamber encloses the first cooling level, the second cooling level and the third cooling level, wherein the cryo-cooler comprises a third cooler portion, wherein the third cooler portion is thermally coupled by a third heat conductor to the third cold plate, wherein the first cold plate, the second cold plate and the third cold plate are arranged side by side in the same plane, and wherein the first experimental place, the second experimental place and the third experimental place are arranged side by side such that they are accessible after removal of the first heat shield, the second heat shield and the third heat shield from all sides except from the side of the first cold plate, the second cold plate and the third cold plate. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The cryostat of claim 6, wherein the third cooler portion is selected from the group consisting of: a Joule Thomson cooler, a 1-K pot, a 3He level refrigerator, and an adiabatic demagnetization refrigerator (ADR) cooler. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The cryostat of claim 6, further comprising: a fourth cold plate that forms a fourth base of a fourth experimental place; and a fourth heat shield that encloses the fourth experimental place, wherein the fourth cold plate and the fourth experimental place are surrounded by the fourth heat shield and form a fourth cooling level, wherein the fourth cold plate and the fourth heat shield are enclosed by the third heat shield such that the fourth cooling level is enclosed by the third cooling level, wherein the vacuum chamber encloses the first cooling level, the second cooling level, the third cooling level and the fourth cooling level, wherein the cryo-cooler comprises a fourth cooler portion, wherein the fourth cooler portion is thermally coupled by a fourth heat conductor to the fourth cold plate, wherein the first cold plate, the second cold plate, the third cold plate, and the fourth cold plate are arranged side by side in the same plane, and wherein the first experimental place, the second experimental place, the third experimental place and the fourth experimental place are arranged side by side such that they are accessible after removal of the first heat shield, the second heat shield, the third heat shield, and the fourth heat shield from all sides except from the side of the first cold plate, the second cold plate, the third cold plate and the fourth cold plate. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The cryostat of claim 8, wherein the fourth cooler portion is selected from the group consisting of: a 1-K pot, a 3He level refrigerator, a 3He/4He dilution refrigerator, and an adiabatic demagnetization refrigerator (ADR) cooler. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The cryostat of claim 8, further comprising: a fifth cold plate that forms a fifth base of a fifth experimental place; and a fifth heat shield that encloses the fifth experimental place, wherein the fifth cold plate and the fifth experimental place are surrounded by the fifth heat shield and form a fifth cooling level, wherein the fifth cold plate and the fifth heat shield are enclosed by the fourth heat shield such that the fifth cooling level is enclosed by the fourth cooling level, wherein the vacuum chamber encloses the first cooling level, the second cooling level, the third cooling level, the fourth cooling level and the fifth cooling level, wherein the cryo-cooler comprises a fifth cooler portion, wherein the fifth cooler portion is thermally coupled by a fifth heat conductor to the fifth cold plate, wherein the first cold plate, the second cold plate, the third cold plate, the fourth cold plate and the fifth cold plate are arranged side by side in the same plane, and wherein the first experimental place, the second experimental place, the third experimental place, the fourth experimental place and the fifth experimental place are arranged side by side such that they are accessible after removal of the first heat shield, the second heat shield, the third heat shield, the fourth heat shield and the fifth heat shield from all sides except from the side of the first cold plate, the second cold plate, the third cold plate, the fourth cold plate and the fifth cold plate. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The cryostat of claim 10, wherein the fifth cooler portion is selected from the group consisting of: a 1-K pot, a 3He level refrigerator, a 3He/4He dilution refrigerator, and an adiabatic demagnetization refrigerator (ADR) cooler. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The cryostat of claim 10, further comprising: a 3He/4He dilution refrigerator, wherein the fourth cooler portion is a still of the 3He/4He dilution refrigerator, and wherein the fifth cooler portion is a mixing chamber of the 3He/4He dilution refrigerator. ### Claim 13 A cryostat, comprising: a first cold plate that forms a first base of a first experimental place, wherein the first cold plate is oriented horizontally; a first heat shield that encloses the first experimental place, wherein the first cold plate and the first experimental place are surrounded by the first heat shield and form a first cooling level; a second cold plate that forms a second base of a second experimental place; a second heat shield that encloses the second experimental place, wherein the second cold plate and the second experimental place are surrounded by the second heat shield and form a second cooling level, and wherein the second cold plate and the second heat shield are enclosed by the first heat shield such that the second cooling level is enclosed by the first cooling level; a vacuum chamber that encloses the first cooling level and the second cooling level; and a cryo-cooler that is thermally coupled to the first cold plate and the second cold plate, wherein the second cold plate is oriented parallel to the first cold plate, wherein the second cold plate is arranged above the first cold plate and at least partially laterally overlaps the first cold plate, wherein a portion of the first cold plate protrudes laterally out from under the second cold plate such that the laterally protruding portion of the first cold plate is accessible from above, and wherein the laterally protruding portion of the first cold plate forms the first base for the first experimentation place. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The cryostat of claim 13, further comprising: a first partial cold plate mechanically supported by the laterally protruding portion of the first cold plate, wherein the first partial cold plate is offset above the laterally protruding portion of the first cold plate, wherein the first partial cold plate is thermally coupled by a heat conductor to the first cold plate, and wherein the first partial cold plate and the second cold plate are arranged side by side in the same plane. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The cryostat of claim 14, further comprising: a third cold plate that forms a third base of a third experimental place; and a third heat shield that encloses the third experimental place, wherein the third cold plate and the third experimental place are surrounded by the third heat shield and form a third cooling level, wherein the third cold plate and the third heat shield are enclosed by the second heat shield such that the third cooling level is enclosed by the second cooling level, wherein the vacuum chamber encloses the first cooling level, the second cooling level and the third cooling level, wherein the cryo-cooler is thermally coupled to the first cold plate, the second cold plate and the third cold plate, wherein the third cold plate is arranged above the second cold plate and at least partially laterally overlaps the second cold plate, wherein a portion of the second cold plate protrudes laterally out from under the third cold plate such that the laterally protruding portion of the second cold plate is accessible from above, and wherein the laterally protruding portion of the second cold plate forms the second base for the second experimentation place. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The cryostat of claim 15, further comprising: a fourth cold plate that forms a fourth base of a fourth experimental place; and a fourth heat shield that encloses the fourth experimental place, wherein the fourth cold plate and the fourth experimental place are surrounded by the fourth heat shield and form a fourth cooling level, wherein the fourth cold plate and the fourth heat shield are enclosed by the third heat shield such that the fourth cooling level is enclosed by the third cooling level, wherein the vacuum chamber encloses the first cooling level, the second cooling level, the third cooling level and the fourth cooling level, wherein the cryo-cooler is thermally coupled to the first cold plate, the second cold plate, the third cold plate and the fourth cold plate, wherein the fourth cold plate is arranged above the third cold plate and at least partially laterally overlaps the third cold plate, wherein a portion of the third cold plate protrudes laterally out from under the fourth cold plate such that the laterally protruding portion of the third cold plate is accessible from above, and wherein the laterally protruding portion of the third cold plate forms the third base for the third experimentation place. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The cryostat of claim 16, further comprising: a fifth cold plate that forms a fifth base of a fifth experimental place; and a fifth heat shield that encloses the fifth experimental place, wherein the fifth cold plate and the fifth experimental place are surrounded by the fifth heat shield and form a fifth cooling level, wherein the fifth cold plate and the fifth heat shield are enclosed by the fourth heat shield such that the fifth cooling level is enclosed by the fourth cooling level, wherein the vacuum chamber encloses the first cooling level, the second cooling level, the third cooling level, the fourth cooling level and the fifth cooling level, wherein the cryo-cooler is thermally coupled to the first cold plate, the second cold plate, the third cold plate, the fourth cold plate and the fifth cold plate, wherein the fifth cold plate is arranged above the fourth cold plate and at least partially laterally overlaps the fourth cold plate, wherein a portion of the fourth cold plate protrudes laterally out from under the fifth cold plate such that the laterally protruding portion of the fourth cold plate is accessible from above, and wherein the laterally protruding portion of the fourth cold plate forms the fourth base for the fourth experimentation place.