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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0 Petitions
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.
114 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