Cryogen-Free Technology for NMR

This means that NMR will now be available to a wider use base of customers that either do not have cost-effective access to the essential cryogens or the on-site logistics needed to support the constant cryogen handling required for refilling conventional systems. The new magnets were jointly developed and tested by Oxford Instruments (Oxon, UK) and Varian, Inc. (Palo Alto, CA, USA) and were introduced at the Experimental Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Conference in Monterey (CA, USA) in April 2004.

NMR is a nondestructive, data-rich analytic method used in genomics and proteomics to identify the three-dimensional structure, function, and dynamics of nucleic acids, proteins, and other biologic macromolecules. The new NMR systems are cost-effective by removing system "downtime” associated with refilling cryogens and are significantly more compact because there is no need for a separate nitrogen vessel.

This new technology, developed by Oxford Instruments, includes a pulse tube refrigerator (PTR) optimized to the cooling power requirements of NMR. PTR technology provides a cold section that has no moving parts, which is crucial for NMR applications because it means that there is minimal vibration. Also, all moving parts are at room temperature and therefore easily maintained.

The design of the ActivelyCooled NMR magnets has also been optimized so that the PTR can be serviced efficiently, ensuring the minimum of down time with service intervals being potentially up to 24 months. In addition, the cryostat is capable of maintaining its magnetic field for up to 12 hours in the event of power failure, preventing excessive service costs in the power outages.



Related Links:
Oxford Instruments
Varian, Inc.