Open architecture superconducting magnet helium vessel structure
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsStephen R. Elgin, II, Kenneth Edward Grut, Gregory Alan Lehmann, Michelle Guilmet Sansbury, John Scaturro, Jr., Bu-Xin Xu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A magnet cartridge for an open architecture superconducting magnet including an iron ring sandwiched between two coil forms, and including radial and axial positioning and securing apparatus to position, secure and maintain the relative positions of the coils on the coil forms and the iron ring in the presence of the strong superconducting magnet field generated by superconducting operation of said magnet.
Claims15
An open architecture superconducting magnet assembly including upper and lower liquid cryogen vessels to provide a magnetic field therebetween suitable for magnetic resonance imaging comprising:
- upper and lower separated superconducting magnet coils in each of the cryogen vessels;
- a ferromagnetic ring having an outer circumference and an inner circumference interposed between said upper and lower superconducting magnet coils;
- said superconducting magnet coils each supported by a coil form;
- one of said coil forms surrounding said outer circumference of said ring;
- the other of said coil forms positioned within said interior circumference of said ring;
- said coil forms supported by said ferromagnetic ring;
- positioning and securing apparatus for said coil forms;
- said positioning and securing apparatus including a plurality of radially extending fasteners spaced around said ferromagnetic ring securing said coil forms to said ferromagnetic ring and
- said fasteners are securing rods including ends which extend from said ferromagnetic ring into said coil form to secure said coil forms and said ferromagnetic ring into a unitary structure;
- said coil forms include a circumferentially extending tongue on the circumference adjacent said ferromagnetic ring which mate with circumferential grooves on said outer circumference and said inner circumference of said ring to axially position said superconducting magnet coils on said ring in a predetermined axial position relative to each other and to resist axial movement of said coils when said coil forms are secured to said ring;
- and
- said coils, coil forms and ring are positioned and secured within a housing including an interior circumference to form a pair of magnet cartridge subassemblies and one of said magnet cartridge subassemblies is in turn positioned within each said cryogen vessel.
A superconducting magnet assembly which is generally donut shaped within a cryogen vessel of an open architecture magnetic resonance imaging magnet, comprising:
- an iron ring including an exterior circumference and an interior circumference;
- a first ring-shaped coil form positioned around said exterior circumference of said iron ring;
- a second ring-shaped coil form positioned within and adjacent said interior circumference of said iron ring;
- said ring-shaped coil forms each including a coil pocket;
- superconducting magnet coils wound in each of said pockets;
- a plurality of radial studs extending through said iron ring and through a portion of each said coil forms to secure said coil forms to said ring and preclude separation of said coils and said iron ring;
- a housing surrounding said superconducting magnet assembly with ends that include recesses to position and secure said superconducting magnet assembly within said housing to form a magnet cartridge;
- and
- one said magnet cartridge positioned and secured within each said cryogen vessel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.