A cryostat system is kept at a cryogenic operating temperature without providing or supplying cryogenic fluids by a cryocooler. The cryostat system includes a superconducting magnet arrangement and a heat sink apparatus to prolong the time before the superconducting magnet arrangement quenches/returns to the normally conducting state if active cooling fails. The heat sink apparatus includes magnetocaloric material and is thermally connected to the superconducting magnet arrangement and/or to parts of the cryostat system through which ambient heat can flow to the superconducting magnet arrangement. In this way, the cryostat system can be operated in a truly “cryogen-free” manner while maintaining a sufficiently long time to quench in the event of potential operational malfunctions.

Methods, systems, and devices for ultra or extreme-high vacuum are described. Such systems may comprise a vacuum chamber, a target within the vacuum chamber, two or more overlapping radiation shields arranged within an inner vacuum space of a vacuum chamber, and surrounding at least a portion of the target, a first and a second cooling element unit thermally coupled to a first and second radiation shield of the two or more overlapping radiation shields, wherein the first unit is configured to reduce the first radiation shield's temperature to at least <100K, and the second unit is configured to reduce the second radiation shield's temperature to at least <25K, and a third cooling element unit coupled to the target and isolated from the first and second radiation shield, wherein the third cooling element unit is configured to reduce the target's temperature to at least <4K.

The invention relates to a method and a magnetoencephalography (MEG) measurement device. In the method there is determined the ending of a scheduled inactivity period of the MEG device. At the ending of the inactivity period a cryocooler of the MEG device is switched off. Helium is allowed to boil in the Dewar vessel of the MEG device when the MEG device is active and used to perform patient measurements. The boiled helium is collected via a compressor to an external storage tank. When a new inactivity period for the MEG device commences, the cryocooler is started anew and helium is let from the external storage tank in-to the Dewar vessel, where it is re-liquefied by the cryocooler. The compressor may be switched off when the cryocooler is switched on.

A superconducting current pump arranged to cause a DC electrical current to flow through a superconducting circuit accommodated within a cryogenic enclosure of a cryostat comprises a rotor external to the cryogenic enclosure and a stator within the cryogenic enclosure, the rotor and stator separated by a gap through which passes a thermally insulating wall of the cryogenic enclosure, the rotor and the stator comprising at least in part a ferromagnetic material to concentrate magnetic flux in a magnetic circuit across the gap between the rotor and the stator and through the wall, so that movement of the rotor external to the cryogenic enclosure relative to the stator within the cryogenic enclosure induces a DC transport current to flow around the superconducting circuit within the cryogenic enclosure. There is no coupling between a drive motor external to the cryogenic enclosure and an internal rotor which may introduce a path for heat leakage into the cryostat, in turn increasing the heat load and thus increasing the cooling power required to maintain the cold components within the cryogenic enclosure at the low operating temperature required.

A thermal interface between a removable cryogenic refrigerator (4) and an article (10) to be cooled by the cryogenic refrigerator. The thermal interface consists of a recondensing chamber filled with a gas (12), the recondensing chamber being in thermal contact with a cooling surface (9) of the refrigerator and the article (10) to be cooled.

Variable temperature analytical instrument heat exchanger components are provided that can include a conduit in thermal communication with at least one thermally discrete mass, the discrete mass being configured as a cold source to be coupled to a member to facilitate the transfer of thermal energy. Variable temperature analytical instrument components are also provided that can include: a first mass to be maintained at a first temperature; a first conduit in fluid communication with the first mass; and a second mass thermally connected to the first conduit, the second mass having a different temperature than the first mass. Methods for varying the temperature within variable temperature analytical instruments are also provided. The methods can include thermally coupling at least a portion of an exhaust fluid conduit with a first mass and using the first mass as a cold source.

A cryostat for a superconducting magnet system is provided. The cryostat may include an outer vessel and an inner vessel suspended within the outer vessel. A space may be defined by the outer vessel and the inner vessel. The cryostat may include multiple first support elements and one or more second support elements. The strength of the first supporting element may be larger than that of the second support elements. The inner vessel and the outer vessel may be connected by two opposite ends of a first support element and two opposite ends of a second support element, respectively. The number of the first support elements in the lower part of the space is different from the number of the first support elements in the upper part of the space.

Cryogenic sample analysis systems are provided that can include: a system housing in direct physical contact with an environment about the system; a sample platform within the system housing; and a resonance frequency insulating assembly operatively engaged between the sample platform and the housing. Cryogenic sample analysis systems are also provided that can include: a system housing in direct physical contact with an environment supporting and surrounding the system; a sample platform within the system and operationally coupled to a coldhead of the system; and an insulating assembly operatively engaged between resonance frequencies generated by the environment and/or the coldhead, the insulating assembly comprising a suspended mass.

A low vibration cryostat includes a cryocooler with a cold head having a flange and a cooling body extending from the flange. A housing is coupled to the cold head, with the housing having an opening receiving at least a portion of the cooling body. A first bellows extends between the housing and the flange to mitigate the transfer of vibrational forces between the housing and the flange. The first bellows, the flange, and the housing collectively define a first chamber. A force balancing assembly containing a second bellows is coupled to the housing and includes a second chamber spaced from the first chamber. The two chambers are arranged to create a net zero force on the cold head when the pressure in the bellows changes. A viscous damping assembly mitigates bouncing of the cold head on support springs.

A cryostat with improved accessibility for experiments includes a cooling device, a vacuum chamber and multiple cooling levels, heat shields and experimentation places. The cooling device is thermally coupled to cooling levels that have different temperatures. The experimentation places are at the temperatures of the cooling levels and are arranged side by side when viewed from above such that each experimentation place is accessible from above and from the side. Each cooling level has an associated heat shield that also encloses an experimentation place. The vacuum chamber encloses the cooling levels. The cold plate of a second cooling level is arranged above the cold plate of a first cooling level such that a portion of the first cold plate protrudes laterally from under the second cold plate. An experimentation place is disposed above the protruding portion of the first cold plate and is accessible from above and from the side.