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Doctor Advances Cryopreservation in Heart Regeneration and Organ Transplantation

At Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, Dr. Rasha Al-attar’s research is at the forefront of advancing heart regeneration and organ transplantation. Initially focusing on stem cell-derived cardiomyocyte (hPSC-CM) transplantation to repair infarcted heart tissue, Dr. Al-attar faced a significant challenge: while immature hPSC-CMs survive freezing, they often induce...

Pressure Increase Method Marks Significant Advancement in Cryogenic Controls and Safety

Ensuring the integrity of packaging in cryogenic environments is crucial for maintaining product quality and operational safety. Recent advancements in non-destructive leak testing technology underscore significant improvements in cryogenic controls and safety by emphasizing the need for precise and reliable testing methods. Effective leak detection is essential for preserving the...

Tests Show High Temperature Superconducting Magnets Ready for Fusion

In the early hours of September 5, 2021, engineers at MIT’s Plasma Science and Fusion Center (PSFC) achieved a groundbreaking milestone by demonstrating a world-record magnetic field strength of 20 tesla with a new high-temperature superconducting magnet. This breakthrough is crucial for advancing fusion power technology, with the potential to...

Thermionics Laboratory Empowers Precision Nanofabrication, Ultrahigh Vacuum Manipulator for Glancing Low Angle Deposition

What does a leading optics manufacturer do when striving to develop cutting-edge lenses for high-resolution imaging systems? Their quest for flawless optical performance hinges on achieving nanostructured surfaces that minimize light scattering and maximize transmission efficiency. In the intricate world of advanced materials and nanotechnology, achieving precise fabrication techniques is...

What Is the Temperature of Space?

One of the most common questions from students when presented with an introduction to in-space applications of cryogenics is “What temperature is space?” While the askers of this question are usually enthusiastically interested, thinking space to have tactile temperatures just like the playground outside the school, this is actually a...

Beckman Institute Labs Bridge Advanced Imaging and Alzheimer’s Research

The Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has embarked on a life-changing research project to advance the early detection and diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. With the support of a $3 million grant from the US National Institute on Aging of the National Institutes...

Latest in Defining Cryogenics

Dewar

A dewar is a type of cryostat named after Sir James Dewar, the researcher who first developed the concept of a vacuum insulated container with silvered walls to reflect thermal radiation. Dewar was the first to liquefy hydrogen, and he created the device to store his discovery. The thermos bottle...

Stirling and Gifford-McMahon Cryocoolers

Stirling and Gifford-McMahon (GM) cryocoolers are two of the most commonly used cryocoolers in cryogenics. Both devices have a significant industrial base and operate at a wide range of temperatures and capacities. The thermodynamic cycles for both of these cryocoolers are quite similar. The Stirling cycle consists of a compressor,...

Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG)

A significant commercial application of cryogenics is the liquefaction, transport and storage of natural gas. Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) is generally 95 percent methane with a few percent ethane and much lower concentrations of propane and butane. LNG liquefies at 111.6 K. Unlike many applications of cryogenics, the motivation for...

Latest in Cryo Central

Magnetic Levitation

From http://www.superconductors.org. Magnetic-levitation is an application where superconductors perform extremely well. Transport vehicles such as trains can be made to “float” on strong superconducting magnets, virtually eliminating friction between the train and its tracks. Not only would conventional electromagnets waste much of the electrical energy as heat, they would have...

Superconductivity

From Superpower website. History of Superconductivity Superconductivity was discovered in 1911 by the Dutch physicist, Heike Kammerlingh Onnes when he was able to liquefy helium by cooling it to 4 Kelvin, or -452°F. This enabled him to cool other materials close to absolute zero and investigate their electrical properties. He...

Medical Applications of Cryogenics

Neutron Therapy Cryogenics is at the heart of nuclear accelerators. Accelerators such as Fermilab’s Tevatron make neutron therapy for cancer possible. From Fermilab Today 4/20/09: Fermilab currently offers neutron therapy. But staff at Fermilab designed and built the proton accelerator used by the nation’s first hospital-based treatment center to use...

Nuclear Physics

Al Zeller National Superconducting Cyclotron Lab (NSCL) at Michigan State University zeller@nscl.msu.edu Cryogenics has a long history in nuclear physics. The technology has its origins in the use of cold traps for maintaining a vacuum, which is required to prevent beam loss and for generating high voltages used in acceleration....

Latest in Ask the Experts

Power usage: cryogenic systems vs. regular refrigerators

A recent project highlighted to me that closed cycle cryogenic cooling systems use far more electrical power to reduce temperatures by a few watts than regular refrigerators. I am sure it must be something to do with the extra difficulty of removing the heat from the liquid nitrogen or similar...

Redundancy strategies for mechanical -80C freezers

I was wondering what kind of redundancy strategies are people using for their mechanical -80C freezers? I am aware of the following. Please add if you are doing something different. 1) 1 Backup freezer for every 10 freezers – Empty and maintained at -80C at all times 2) Backup C02...

Safety guidelines for handling cryo vessels of nitrogen

I am looking for any safety guidelines for handling cryogenic vessels of nitrogen indoors and outdoors. I am especially interested in recommendations for area monitors to detect leaks, flow detection devices, etc.

Method to move components in a cryogenic environment

Does anyone know of a method with which to reliably move components in a cryogenic environment? We are interested in moving detectors in a cryogenically cooled (2K) vacuum chamber, which is contained within a larger cryostat/isolation vacuum with thermal shields. As the desired horizontal or vertical displacement is between 10...

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