Hyperpolarized gas containers, solenoids, transport and storage devices and associated transport and storage methods
First Claim
1. A transport unit for transporting hyperpolarized gas products therein, said transport unit comprising:
- at least one gas chamber configured to hold a quantity of hyperpolarized gas product therein; and
an electromagnet disposed in said transport unit, said electromagnet configured and sized to define a magnetic holding field having at least one region of homogeneity therein, wherein a major portion of each of said at least one gas chamber is sized and configured to reside in said magnetic field homogeneous region.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A compact portable transport unit for shipping hyperpolarized noble gases and shielding same from electromagnetic interference and/or external magnetic fields includes a means for shifting the resonance frequency of the hyperpolarized gas outside the bandwidth of typical frequencies associated with prevalent time-dependent fields produced by electrical sources. Preferably the transport unit includes a magnetic holding field which is generated from a solenoid in the transport unit. The solenoid includes a plurality of coil segments and is sized and configured to receive the gas chamber of a container. The gas container is configured with a valve, a spherical body, and an extending capillary stem between the valve and the body. The gas container or hyperpolarized product container can also be formed as a resilient bag. The distribution method includes positioning a multi-bolus container within the transport unit to shield it and transporting same to a second site remote from the first site and subsequently dispensing into smaller patient sized formulations which can be transported (shielded) in another transport unit to yet another site.
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Citations
46 Claims
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1. A transport unit for transporting hyperpolarized gas products therein, said transport unit comprising:
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at least one gas chamber configured to hold a quantity of hyperpolarized gas product therein; and
an electromagnet disposed in said transport unit, said electromagnet configured and sized to define a magnetic holding field having at least one region of homogeneity therein, wherein a major portion of each of said at least one gas chamber is sized and configured to reside in said magnetic field homogeneous region. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A system of extending the polarization lifetime of hyperpolarized gas during transport, comprising the steps of:
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introducing a quantity of hyperpolarized gas product into a sealable gas chamber at a production site;
capturing a quantity of hyperpolarized gas product in the gas chamber;
generating a magnetic holding field from a portable transport unit, thereby defining a substantially homogeneous magnetic holding region therein;
positioning a major portion of the gas chamber within the homogeneous holding region;
transporting the captured hyperpolarized gas in the gas chamber; and
shielding the hyperpolarized gas product to minimize the depolarizing effects of external magnetic fields during said transporting step such that the hyperpolarized gas has a clinically useful polarization level at a site remote from the production site. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
administering the hyperpolarized product held in at least one of said single dose containers to a patient; and
obtaining an MR imaging or spectroscopy signal associated with same.
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29. A method for distributing hyperpolarized noble gas, comprising the steps of:
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polarizing noble gas at a polarization site;
capturing a quantity of polarized gas in a multi-dose container, the quantity of hyperpolarized gas being sufficient to provide a plurality of doses of a hyperpolarized product;
positioning the first multi-dose container within a portable transport unit, the transport unit configured to provide a homogeneous magnetic field proximate to a major portion of the multi-dose container held therein;
transporting the transport unit with the multi-dose container to a second site remote from the polarization site; and
distributing the hyperpolarized gas held in the multi-dose container into multiple separate second containers at the second site. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
positioning at least one of the multiple separate second containers with the hyperpolarized gas product therein into a second transport unit, the second transport unit being configured to provide a region of homogeneity therefor; and
transporting the second transport unit with the at least one multiple separate second container to a third site.
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33. A method according to claim 32, wherein at least one of the multiple separate second containers comprises a patient dose sized resilient bag.
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34. A method according to claim 33, further comprising the steps of:
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administering said hyperpolarized pharmaceutical product in said second container to a patient; and
obtaining clinically useful data associated with the administered hyperpolarized product via one or more of an Magnetic Resonance Imaging or Spectroscopy procedures.
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35. A method according to claim 31, further comprising the steps of:
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positioning a plurality of patient-sized bags filled with the hyperpolarized pharmaceutical product in said second transport unit; and
transporting the plurality of patient sized bags to a third site remote from the second site.
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36. A method according to claim 29, wherein the hyperpolarized gas comprises 3He, and wherein the multi-bolus container is used to polarize a quantity of noble gas therein during said polarizing step at the polarization site.
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37. A portable transporter for transporting or storing a quantity of hyperpolarized gas product, comprising:
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an enclosure having at least one wall with a skin depth of a conductive shielding material configured to provide a shield for a quantity of hyperpolarized gas from externally generated electromagnetic interference during transport from a polarization site to a use site, said enclosure defining a holding volume therebetween;
at least one hyperpdlarized gas container positioned in said enclosure, said gas container having a major gas holding volume portion, and a magnetic field source positioned in said enclosure, said magnetic field source configured to provide a region of homogeneity proximate to said hyperpolarized gas container;
wherein the holding volume is sized and configured to hold said hyperpolarized gas container such that the major volume of said hyperpolarized gas container is spatially separated a predetermined distance from adjacent portions of said at least one wall, and wherein said predetermined distance is sufficient to increase the shielding effectiveness of said enclosure. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
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Specification