System and method for self-sealing a coldhead sleeve of a magnetic resonance imaging system
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsLongzhi Jiang, Evangelos Trifon Laskaris, John Scaturro, Jr., William Einziger, John Arthur Urbahn, Kathleen Melanie Amm, Jalal Zia, In-Hua Xu
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Abstract
Systems and methods for self-sealing a coldhead sleeve of a magnetic resonance imaging system are provided. One coldhead sleeve arrangement includes a coldhead sleeve configured to receive therein a coldhead of an MRI system and having an open end. The coldhead sleeve arrangement also includes a sealing member coupled at the open end of the coldhead sleeve and configured in a normally closed position covering the open end.
Claims20
A coldhead sleeve arrangement for a coldhead of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system, the coldhead sleeve arrangement comprising:
- a coldhead sleeve configured to receive therein a coldhead of an MRI system and having an open end;
- a biasing member;
- and
- a sealing member coupled at the open end of the coldhead sleeve and configured biased by the biasing member in a normally closed position covering the open end, the sealing member opened when at least a portion of the coldhead is inserted into the open end of the coldhead sleeve.
A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) magnet system comprising:
- a vessel having liquid helium therein;
- a superconducting magnet within the vessel;
- a coldhead;
- a coldhead sleeve receiving therein the coldhead and having an open end;
- and
- a movable sealing member coupled at the open end of the coldhead sleeve and biased by a biasing member in a normally closed position covering the open end, the movable sealing member moved to an open position when the coldhead is inserted into the coldhead sleeve, the coldhead sleeve configured to apply a force to the movable sealing member to overcome a biasing force of the biasing member to move the movable sealing member to the open position.
A method for forming a self-sealing coldhead sleeve for a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) magnet system, the method comprising:
- configuring a sealing member of a coldhead sleeve in a normally closed position using a biasing member;
- and
- coupling the sealing member to the coldhead sleeve at an open end of the coldhead sleeve such that the sealing member is (i) biased in the normally closed position when a coldhead is removed from the coldhead sleeve and (ii) moved to an open position when the coldhead is inserted within the coldhead sleeve with at least a portion of the coldhead extending through the open end.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.