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US 5,612,103 AGranted
Coatings for production of hyperpolarized noble gases
AssigneePrinceton University
InventorsBastiaan Driehuys, William Happer, Gordon D. Cates, Jr.
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AssigneePrinceton University
InventorsBastiaan Driehuys, William Happer, Gordon D. Cates, Jr.
Estimating the term…
The invention provides a method of inhibiting surface-induced nuclear spin relaxation and surface trapping of a hyperpolarized noble gas, most preferably .sup.129 Xe, by polymer-coated surfaces. The method includes inhibiting the amount of interaction of the noble gas with a polymeric coating on the surface of apparatus which contacts the noble gas. Preferably, the method includes inhibiting noble gas nuclear spin relaxation by replacing at least some of the protons in the polymer with substituents which have non-zero nuclear spin and/or reduced polymer permeability. A preferred substituent having non-zero spin is deuterium. A preferred modification which reduces permeability includes introducing into the polymer a substituent such as a halogen, more preferably fluorine. The method also provides containers having surfaces which have been coated with a polymer which inhibits noble gas trapping and nuclear spin relaxation. Furthermore, the invention provides methods for enhancing the production and storage of a hyperpolarized noble gas by decreasing the relaxation of nuclear spin and limiting the trapping of the noble gas in a polymeric coating of apparatus containing the noble gas.
A method of inhibiting nuclear spin relaxation of a hyperpolarized noble gas, comprising:
A method of hyperpolarizing a noble gas, comprising hyperpolarizing a noble gas in a container having a surface which has been modified to exhibit reduced depolarizing interaction with said noble gas, wherein said surface is coated with a polymer modified by deuteration and/or modified to have reduced permeability to the hyperpolarized noble gas when applied to the surface.
A method of reducing the noble-gas depolarizing capacity of a surface of a container, comprising:
A container having reduced capacity for depolarization of a noble-gas, modified according to a method comprising:
A method of hyperpolarizing a noble gas, comprising hyperpolarizing a noble gas in a cell, adapted for hyperpolarization of a noble gas, wherein an interior surface of the cell is coated with a polymer modified by deuteration and/or modified to have reduced permeability to the hyperpolarized noble gas when applied to the surface, thereby providing the surface with reduced capacity to depolarize said noble gas.
A method of storing a hyperpolarized noble gas, comprising storing a hyperpolarized noble gas in a reservoir, adapted for storage of a noble gas, wherein an interior surface of the reservoir is coated with a polymer modified by deuteration and/or modified to have reduced permeability the hyperpolarized noble gas when applied to the surface, thereby providing the surface with reduced capacity to depolarize said noble gas.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.