Sol-gel coated polarization vessels

A method for hyperpolarizing a noble gas, comprising:

• spin polarizing a noble gas in a polarization cell having an interior surface coated with a glass coating deposited from a sol-gel.

In an apparatus for hyperpolarizing a noble gas, comprising:

• a) a source of laser energy;
• b) a polarization cell;
• the improvement consisting of a glass coating deposited from a sol-gel onto an interior surface of said polarization cell.

A method of reducing depolarizing interaction between a hyperpolarized noble gas and a surface of a container, comprising;

• providing on the surface of the container a glass coating deposited from a sol-gel in sufficient thickness and formulation so that the coated surface is substantially impermeable to the noble gas and/or to ions in the underlying container material to thereby inhibit depolarizing interaction between the hyperpolarized noble gas and the container, wherein the substrate and coating each have a thermal expansion coefficient that is similar to the other, and wherein the coated container yields an extended polarization relaxation time (T1) relative to that of a corresponding uncoated container.

An apparatus having interior hyperpolarized noble gas contacting surfaces, wherein at least a portion of said interior hyperpolarized noble gas contacting surfaces is coated with a glass coating deposited from a sol-gel, and wherein the coating is a high purity aluminosilicate coating formulated so as to be substantially impermeable to the noble gas and/or to ions in the underlying material of the hyperpolarized gas contacting surfaces.

A method of fabricating a polarization cell configured to polarize a quantity of noble gas during polarization of the gas, comprising the steps of:

• inserting a quantity of fluid sol-gel into a polarization cell comprising a space with internal hyperpolarized noble gas contacting surfaces and at least one port for receiving a quantity of hyperpolarized noble gas therein;
• and
• depositing a quantity of the inserted sol-get onto a substantial portion of the gas contacting surfaces, wherein, the sol-gel coated polarization cell has an associated extended polarization relaxation time (T1) compared to a corresponding non sol-gel coated polarization cell.

A polarization cell for hyperpolarizing a noble gas having a space with a quantity of noble gas and alkali metal having a vapor phase held therein, wherein said polarization cell comprises a glass substrate material with an interior surface coated with a high purity aluminosilicate coating deposited from a sol-gel, the substrate and coating each having a thermal expansion coefficient that is similar to the other, said substrate and coating being configured to allow laser energy to enter therein to thereby optically pump the alkali metal vapor, wherein the sol-gel deposited coating on the substrate is configured to withstand exposure to spin-exchange interactions with the optically pumped alkali metal vapor during hyperpolarization of the noble gas and to inhibit depolarizing interaction between the hyperpolarized noble gas and the polarization cell.

A polarization cell for hyperpolarizing a noble gas, said cell comprising a quantity of noble gas and alkali metal having a vapor phase held therein, wherein said polarization cell comprises a glass substrate material with an interior surface coated with a glass coating deposited from a sol-gel, the substrate and sol-gel coating each having a thermal expansion coefficient that is similar to the other, the sol-gel being selected so that it is substantially impermeable to the noble gas and/or to ions in the glass substrate material, said substrate and coating being configured to allow laser energy to enter therein to thereby optically pump the alkali metal vapor, wherein the sol-gel deposited coating on the substrate is configured to withstand exposure to spin-exchange interactions with the optically pumped alkali metal vapor during hyperpolarization of the noble gas.