Thermal management apparatus and uses thereof

• US 7,439,741 B2
• Filed: 11/22/2006
• Issued: 10/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Arik, Mehmet, Watkins, Ronald Dean, Rohling, Kenneth William
• Primary Examiner(s): Shrivastav; Brij B
• Application Number:
  US11/603,556
• Publication Number:
  US 20070069843A1
• Time in Patent Office: 699 Days
• Field of Search: 324300-322, 600407-422
• US Class Current: 324/318
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/3804 Additional hardware for cooling or heating of the magnet assembly, for housing a cooled or heated part of the magnet assembly or for temperature control of the magnet assembly
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/3856 Means for cooling the gradient coils or thermal shielding of the gradient coils

Abstract

In one aspect, a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device includes a non-magnetic, thermally conductive spreader substrate having a broken metal layer coupled to a thermally conductive, electrically non-conductive layer, wherein the broken metal layer is configured to exchange heat with at least one serpentine cooling tube.

Claims

1. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device, comprising:

a non-magnetic, thermally conductive spreader substrate comprising a broken metal layer coupled to a thermally conductive, electrically non-conductive layer, wherein the broken metal layer is configured to exchange heat with at least one serpentine cooling tube.

2. The MRI device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the broken metal layer is configured to at least substantially reduce eddy currents therein.

3. The MRI device in accordance with claim 1, comprising a serpentine cooling tube disposed on and in thermal contact with the non-magnetic, thermally conductive spreader substrate.

4. The MRI device in accordance with claim 3, wherein the serpentine cooling tube is coupled to the non-magnetic, thermally conductive spreader substrate via a thermally conductive material.

5. The MRI device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the non-magnetic, thermally conductive spreader substrate is flat.

6. The MRI device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the non-magnetic, thermally conductive spreader substrate comprises a generally curved geometry.

7. The MRI device in accordance with claim 6, wherein the generally curved geometry is a generally cylindrical geometry.

8. The MRI device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the non-magnetic, thermally conductive spreader substrate comprises a non-flat geometry.

9. The MRI device in accordance with claim 1, comprising a main magnet and a gradient coil coupled to the non-magnetic, thermally conductive spreader substrate.

10. The MRI device in accordance with claim 1, comprising a plurality of annular fins coupled to the non-magnetic, thermally conductive spreader substrate.

11. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device comprising:

a main magnet;

a non-magnetic spreader substrate comprising a thermally conductive surface;

at least one serpentine cooling tube disposed on and in thermal contact with the thermally conductive surface, wherein the at least one serpentine cooling tube is configured to cool the thermally conductive surface; and

a gradient coil comprising a cylindrical magnetic winding layer, wherein the cylindrical magnetic winding layer is configured in thermal contact with the non-magnetic spreader substrate to conduct heat from the cylindrical magnetic winding layer to the non-magnetic spreader substrate;

wherein the non-magnetic spreader substrate comprises a metal layer bonded to a thermally conductive, electrically nonconductive layer, the metal layer is in thermal contact with the at least one serpentine cooling tube, and the cylindrical magnetic winding layer is in contact with the thermally conductive, electrically nonconductive layer.

12. The MRI device in accordance with claim 11, wherein the non-magnetic spreader substrate is cylindrical, the at least one serpentine cooling tube is inside the non-magnetic spreader substrate, and the cylindrical magnetic winding layer is outside the non-magnetic spreader substrate.

13. The MRI device in accordance with claim 11, wherein the non-magnetic spreader substrate is cylindrical, the at least one serpentine cooling tube is outside the non-magnetic spreader substrate, and the cylindrical magnetic winding layer is inside the non-magnetic spreader substrate.

14. The MRI device in accordance with claim 13, comprising a thermally conductive annular fin affixed to and thermally conductive with the non-magnetic spreader substrate, wherein the thermally conductive annular fin comprises a broken metal layer bonded to a thermally conductive, electrically nonconductive layer.

15. The MRI device in accordance with claim 14, wherein the thermally conductive, electrically nonconductive layer is outwardly directed from the non-magnetic spreader substrate.

16. The MRI device in accordance with claim 15, comprising an annular layer of insulation over a portion of the broken metal layer of the thermally conductive annular fin.

17. The MRI device in accordance with claim 16, wherein the cylindrical magnetic winding layer is a first cylindrical magnetic winding layer, and further comprising:

a filler layer covering the non-magnetic spreader substrate and the at least one serpentine cooling tube; and

a second cylindrical magnetic winding layer disposed over the filler layer and separated from the broken metal layer of the thermally conductive annular fin by the annular layer of insulation.