Cryogenic accumulator for spin-polarized xenon-129

A method for providing a. gas comprising hyperpolarized .sup.129 Xe, comprising:

• a) providing a target gas comprising .sup.129 Xe and at least one other gas;
• b) flowing said target gas through hyperpolarization means;
• c) hyperpolarizing said .sup.129 Xe in said hyperpolarization means by spin exchange with an alkali metal to provide hyperpolarized .sup.129 Xe in said target gas;
• d) flowing said target gas through an accumulation reservoir which is refrigerated to a temperature which causes xenon to condense in frozen form and to which a magnetic field is applied, to accumulate frozen hyperpolarized .sup.129 Xe within said accumulation reservoir while preventing substantial condensation of said at least one other gas of said flowing target gas;
• e) thawing said frozen hyperpolarized .sup.129 Xe to provide a gas consisting essentially of xenon and comprising hyperpolarized .sup.129 Xe;
• f) delivering said gas from said accumulation reservoir to provide a supply of said hyperpolarized .sup.129 Xe.

Apparatus for continuous production of hyperpolarized .sup.129 Xe, comprising:

• a) source gas delivery means adapted for providing flowing .sup.129 Xe,
• b) hyperpolarization means for hyperpolarizing said flowing .sup.129 Xe to provide flowing hyperpolarized .sup.129 Xe, and
• c) accumulation means for accumulating said hyperpolarized .sup.129 Xe, wherein said accumulation means comprises:
• 1) an accumulation reservoir for accumulating said hyperpolarized .sup.129 Xe,
• 2) refrigeration means for refrigerating said accumulation reservoir to a temperature which causes said hyperpolarized .sup.129 Xe to condense and to accumulate in said accumulation reservoir in frozen form, and
• 3) magnetization means for applying a magnetic field to said accumulation reservoir.

A method for continuous accumulation of a hyperpolarized .sup.129 Xe, comprising:

• flowing a target gas comprising hyperpolarized .sup.129 Xe through accumulator means to accumulate said hyperpolarized .sup.129 Xe, wherein said accumulator means comprises:
• a) an accumulation reservoir for accumulating hyperpolarized .sup.129 Xe;
• b) refrigeration means for refrigerating said accumulation reservoir to a temperature which causes said hyperpolarized .sup.129 Xe to condense and to accumulate in said accumulation reservoir in frozen form, and
• c) magnetization means for applying a magnetic field to said accumulation reservoir.

A method for continuous accumulation of hyperpolarized .sup.129 Xe, comprising:

• a) flowing a target gas comprising .sup.129 Xe through hyperpolarization means,
• b) hyperpolarizing said .sup.129 Xe by means of spin exchange with an alkali metal in said hyperpolarization means to provide hyperpolarized .sup.129 Xe in said target gas, and
• c) flowing said target gas through accumulator means to accumulate hyperpolarized .sup.129 Xe in frozen form;
• wherein said accumulator means comprises:
• 1) an accumulation reservoir for accumulating said frozen hyperpolarized .sup.129 Xe;
• 2) refrigeration means for refrigerating said accumulation reservoir to a temperature which causes said hyperpolarized .sup.129 Xe to condense and to accumulate in said accumulation reservoir in frozen form, and
• 3) magnetization means for applying a magnetic field to said accumulation reservoir.