This project is to demonstrate superconducting open MRI systems that are higher performance, 0.5T and greater, that is lower cost than 0.4T permanent magnet MRI systems. The development of these lower cost systems will enable MRI systems to be more widely used in the health industry. The objectives of higher performance and lower costs, will be achieved through using superconductors that have higher operating temperatures, 20-30 K, and low manufacturing costs. The 20-30 K operating temperature will allow very simple low cost cryostats and cryocoolers to be used, compared to 4K systems using complicated cryostats with Helium or cryocoolers. The superconductor wire cost will be low cost due to the use of a new type of superconductor compound that was just discovered in January 2001. The new compound is magnesium diboride. Magnesium diboride at 20 K can be made into a superconductor wire that can be lower cost than conventional Niobium Titanium superconductor wires at 4 K, and the future projected costs for ceramic BSCCO tape and YBCO HTS coated superconductors at 20 K. During the Phase I we will demonstrate that magnesium diboride superconductor wires can be fabricated into coils for MRI, During Phase II full size MRI coils could be fabricated and evaluated in an exsisting MRI test bed that has already been built by Oxford and Siemens.
