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US 12,742,592 B2Granted
Cryo-collection systems and related methods and hyperpolarizer systems
AssigneePolarean, Inc.
InventorsAndrew K. Dummer, Matthew Linford
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Cryo-collection systems are provided with a fluid flow paths to a chamber enclosing at least part of an accumulator to serially provide coolant liquid and heated liquid to provide the cooling and then the heating to respectively collect/freeze, then thaw a target gas, such as collected 129Xe, in the accumulator.
Claims33
A cryo-collection system comprising:
- an accumulator having a gas flow path configured for receiving and condensing a target gas from a gas mixture;
- a dewar that encloses at least part of the accumulator providing the gas flow path, wherein the dewar comprises a chamber that is configured to hold liquid that is in thermal communication with the accumulator and that is in fluid isolation from the gas flow path, wherein the dewar comprises a liquid drain port in fluid communication with the chamber;
- a coolant liquid source configured to supply a coolant liquid to the chamber, wherein the coolant liquid freezes the target gas from the gas mixture to thereby collect the target gas in the gas flow path of the accumulator;
- and
- a heated liquid source configured to supply heated liquid to the chamber, wherein the heated liquid has a temperature sufficient to thaw frozen target gas,
- wherein the system is configured so that the coolant liquid and the heated liquid both serially drain from the chamber through the drain port.
3 more elements
A method of collecting hyperpolarized 129Xe, comprising:
- providing a cryo-collection system comprising a dewar with an internal liquid chamber and an accumulator;
- flowing liquid nitrogen into the chamber to cool the accumulator to a sufficient temperature to freeze and collect hyperpolarized 129Xe from a hyperpolarized noble gas mixture;
- then draining the liquid nitrogen from the chamber;
- then
- flowing heated water into the chamber to heat the collected hyperpolarized 129Xe to a sufficient temperature to thaw the collected hyperpolarized 129Xe;
- and then
- flowing the thawed hyperpolarized 129Xe out of the accumulator into an enclosed flow path.
4 more elements
A dewar for cryo-collection, comprising:
- a dewar body enclosing a chamber;
- and
- a drain port in the dewar body in fluid communication with the chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.