METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ACCUMULATING HYPERPOLARIZED XENON

摘要

A method and apparatus for the accumulation of hyperpolarized¹²⁹Xe is described. A gas mixture comprising ¹²⁹Xe is flowed through a heat exchanger tube (12) from the first end (14) to the second end (15). Concurrently, the outer surface (17) of the heat exchanger tube (12) is controllably refrigerated, beginning with the second end (15), to a temperature low enough to freeze the ¹²⁹Xe (21) on the inner surface (16) of the heat exchanger tube (12).