Patent ID: 11926525
Assignee: THE UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM
Field: Chemical engineering (Chemistry)
Classification: CPC C  B | IPC B  C

Claim 0:
1. A method of producing a hyperpolarized noble gas, comprising:
mixing a noble gas with an initial buffer gas to form a mixture such that the noble gas is present in the mixture at a first concentration;
spin-exchange optical pumping the mixture to hyperpolarize the noble gas; and
removing the buffer gas from the mixture so as to isolate the hyperpolarized noble gas whilst maintaining the hyperpolarization by:
reacting the buffer gas present in the mixture comprising the buffer gas and hyperpolarized noble gas to produce a reaction product different to the buffer gas, wherein reacting the buffer gas comprises at least one of:
(i) oxidising the buffer gas by one or more of combustion and induced plasma;
(ii) introducing oxygen (O2) into the mixture comprising the buffer gas and the hyperpolarized noble gas, and combusting the buffer gas;
(iii) introducing oxygen (O02) into the mixture comprising the buffer gas and the hyperpolarized noble gas in the presence of a catalyst, and catalytically removing the buffer gas;
(iv) passing the mixture comprising the buffer gas and the hyperpolarized noble gas over or through an oxidizing agent; and
(v) oxidizing an alkaline earth metal using the buffer gas.