Introducing an NMR apparatus comprising cooled probe components via a vacuum lock

A Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) apparatus comprising:

• a superconducting magnet assembly comprising:
• a cryostat with a vacuum vessel and a refrigeration stage at an operating temperature of <100 K, wherein the vacuum vessel includes an opening operable to be closed with a lock valve, and a lock chamber which is directly connected to the opening or a device for attaching the lock chamber to the opening such that the lock chamber and the opening are directly connected;
• and
• a superconducting magnet coil system with a cold bore into which a room temperature access of the cryostat engages;
• and
• an NMR probe including probe components cooled to an operating temperature of <100 K, wherein the cooled probe components are arranged, at least in part, in a region between the cold bore of the superconducting magnet coil system and the room temperature access of the cryostat into the cold bore, radially inside the cold bore and outside the room temperature access of the cryostat,
• wherein the opening and the lock valve are sized and arranged such that the cooled probe components are installed and/or removed through the opening and the lock valve.