Superconducting Magnets for MRI

Three types of magnets are currently used to provide the background field required for magnet resonance imaging (MRI). (i) Permanent magnets produce fields of up to 0.3 T in volumes sufficient for imaging the head or up to 0.15 T for whole body imaging. Cost and simplicity of operation are advantages, but relatively low field, weight (up to 100 tonnes) and, to a small extent, instability are limitations. (ii) Water-cooled magnets provide fields of up to 0.25 T in volumes suitable for whole body imaging, but at the expense of power (up to 150 kW for 0.25 T) and water-cooling. Thermal stability of the field requires the maintenance of constant temperature through periods both of use and of quiescence. (iii) Because of the limitations imposed by permanent and resistive magnets, particularly on field strength, the superconducting magnet is now most widely used to provide background fields of up to 2 T for whole body MRI. It requires very low operating power and that only for refrigeration. Because of the constant low temperature, 4.2 K, at which its stressed structure operates, its field is stable. The following review deals principally with superconducting magnets for MRI. However, the sections on field analysismore » apply to all types of magnet and the description of the source terms of circular coils and of the principals of design of solenoids apply equally to resistive solenoidal magnets.« less