A method for extracting a liquid phase of a cryogen comprising the liquid phase and a vapour phase from an interior volume of a storage dewar through an extraction means, utilizing a push gas introduced into the vapour phase of the cryogen through an outlet of a supply line provided between a push gas supply and the interior volume of the storage dewar, the supply line partially extending through the liquid phase within the interior volume.

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.

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 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.

An improved system and method for the automated refilling of cryogenic helium is provided. In one embodiment, the system includes a dewar in fluid communication with a liquid helium cryostat through a cryogen transfer line. A controller regulates operation of a three-way valve to pre-cool the transfer line and to cause gaseous helium to flow to the dewar and force liquid helium through the transfer line into the cryostat. The controller is coupled to the output of a cryogenic level sensor, such that the controller regulates the helium liquid level within the cryostat. During filling cycles, the dewar liquid level is also monitored by the cryogenic level sensor and an alarm sounds if the dewar liquid level is undesirably low. Between filling cycles, the controller is operable to ventilate the dewar through a solenoid vent valve in fixed time intervals to ensure the dewar pressure is sufficiently low so as to not bleed liquid helium into the cryostat.

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.

The present disclosure relates to a cooling system that includes a superconducting unit and a reservoir configured to store liquid coolant to cool the superconducting unit. The cooling system also includes an auxiliary storage system that includes one or more storage tanks fluidly coupled to the reservoir. The auxiliary storage system is configured to provide additional coolant to the reservoir as well as receive and store coolant from the reservoir.

A cryostat assembly comprises an outer container that houses a coil tank with a superconducting magnet coil system and a first cryogenic fluid, and a storage tank with a second cryogenic fluid. The coil tank is secured to the outer container by a first suspension element and the storage tank is secured to the outer container by a second suspension element. The storage tank is thermally connected to a cover element having a mechanical and thermally-conductive connection to a tube element and to the first suspension element. The cover element connects to the storage tank via a resilient, heat-conducting connection that is in thermal contact with the cover element and the storage tank. This allows thermal coupling between the storage tank and cover element, and independent relative movements between the storage tank and cover element, while suppressing relative movements between the tube element and the superconducting magnet coil system.

The present disclosure relates to a cooling system that includes a superconducting unit and a reservoir configured to store liquid coolant to cool the superconducting unit. The cooling system also includes an auxiliary storage system that includes one or more storage tanks fluidly coupled to the reservoir. The auxiliary storage system is configured to provide additional coolant to the reservoir as well as receive and store coolant from the reservoir.

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.