Patent Abstract:
A magnetic resonance apparatus has a basic field magnet with an inner unit, an outer unit and at least one middle unit that are essentially hollow-cylindrical and are electrically conductive and that are arranged inside one another such that the inner unit is enveloped by the middle unit and the middle unit is enveloped by the outer unit, and a gradient coil system which induces eddy currents at least in regions of the outer unit. At least the inner cylindrical jackets of the units are matched to one another in term of mechanical properties according so that the middle unit effectively damps oscillatory transmission from the outer unit to the inner unit that would otherwise occur due to magnetic coupling.

Full Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The invention is directed to a magnetic resonance apparatus.  
         DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART  
         [0002]    Magnetic resonance technology is a known technique for acquiring images of the inside of the body of an examination subject. To that end, rapidly switched gradient fields that are generated by a gradient coil system are superimposed on a static basic magnetic field generated by a basic field magnet in a magnetic resonance apparatus. Further, the magnetic resonance apparatus has a radio-frequency system that emits radio-frequency signals into the examination subject for triggering magnetic resonance signals, and that picks up the generated magnetic resonance signals, from which magnetic resonance images are generated.  
           [0003]    A superconducting basic field magnet has, for example, an essentially hollow-cylindrical helium container in which superconducting coils are arranged, these being cooled by the liquid helium that surrounds them. The helium container is surrounded by a hollow-cylindrical, inner cryoshield that is in turn surrounded by a hollow-cylindrical, outer cryoshield. The cryoshields allow as little thermal radiation as possible to penetrate to the helium container. To that end, the cryoshields are fashioned of a highly thermally conductive metal, for example aluminum. The cryoshields and/or the helium container are thereby held to prescribed temperatures by a cryo-cooler, cold gas or liquid nitrogen. The outer cryoshield is surrounded by an essentially hollow-cylindrical vacuum container. The containers are usually fashioned of nonmagnetic stainless steel. The helium container is connected to the inner cryoshield, the two cryoshields are connected to one another and the outer cryoshield is connected to the vacuum container with poor thermal conductivity up to a mutual spacing of a few millimeters.  
           [0004]    The hollow-cylindrical gradient coil system is secured in the cylindrical cavity of the vacuum container, for example by being force-fit in the cavity. For generating gradient fields, suitable currents are set in the gradient coils of the gradient coil system. The amplitudes of the required currents can be up to several 100 A. The current rise and decay rates can be up to several 100 kA/s. Given an existing basic magnetic field on the order of magnitude of 1 T, Lorentz forces that lead to vibrations of the gradient coil system act on these time-variable currents in the gradient coils.  
           [0005]    As discussed in German OS 195 31 216, for example, these vibrations have a number of negative properties, such as acoustic noises that emanate from the gradient coil system and structural noises that emanate from the gradient coil system and are transmitted onto the rest of the magnetic resonance apparatus via the fastenings, as well as image quality disturbances that can be caused by excessive movement of the gradient coil system. German OS 195 31 216 therefore proposes that the gradient coil system be secured in the region of a vibratory node that is to be expected during operation. Disadvantageous influences of vibrations that emanate from the gradient coil system on the rest of the magnetic resonance apparatus are prevented as a result.  
           [0006]    Since the gradient coil system is surrounded by conductive structures of the basic field magnet, for example by the steel vacuum container and the outer cryoshield of aluminum, the gradient fields that are switched induce eddy currents in the conductive structures. The fields that accompany the eddy currents are unwanted because they attenuate the gradient fields if counter-measures are not taken, and distort the gradient fields in terms of their time curve, which leads to degradation of the quality of the magnetic resonance images. Further, the eddy currents induced in the conductive structures of the basic field magnet cause an inherently unwanted heating of the basic field magnet. These disadvantageous influences are reduced by utilizing an actively shielded gradient coil system.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0007]    An object of the present invention is to provide an improved resonance apparatus wherein, among other things, unwanted eddy current effects are governed better.  
           [0008]    This object is achieved in a magnetic resonance apparatus according to the invention having a basic field magnet with an inner unit, an outer unit and at least one middle unit that are essentially hollow-cylindrical and are electrically conductive and that are arranged inside one another such that the inner unit is enveloped by the middle unit and the middle unit is enveloped by the outer unit, and a gradient coil system which causes eddy currents to be induced at least in regions of the outer unit, and wherein at least the inner cylindrical jackets of the units are matched to one another in terms of mechanical properties so that the middle unit effectively damps oscillatory transmission from the outer unit to the inner unit that would otherwise arise due to magnetic coupling.  
           [0009]    In the initially described basic field magnet of the prior art, the gradient fields are in fact shielded well from the helium container, particularly by the vacuum container, but the eddy currents produced in the vacuum container due to the gradient fields have accompanying fields that in turn produce eddy currents in the outer cryoshield. Due to the strong basic magnetic field, this leads to a vibratory movement of the outer cryoshield, causing further eddy currents to be generated due to the movement. The fields of the eddy currents occurring in the outer cryoshield in turn induce eddy currents in the inner cryoshield, etc., and the above-described, magnetic coupling propagates to the helium container.  
           [0010]    The invention is based on the perception that the above-described oscillatory transmission due to magnetic coupling from the vacuum container in the direction to the helium container is especially pronounced when a mode of characteristic (natural) oscillation that is the same for the inner cylinder jackets of the helium container, of the cryoshields and of the vacuum container has characteristic frequencies (eigenfrequencies) for the individual cylindrical jackets that are approximately the same. With respect to the same mode of natural oscillation, the inner cylindrical jackets behave in a manner comparable to a series circuit of filters with nearly identical passbands with respect to oscillatory transmission due to the magnetic coupling. This is the case given the initially described basic field magnet of the prior art with containers and shields of steel and/or aluminum.  
           [0011]    According to the invention, in contrast, at least one inner cylindrical jacket of one of the containers and shields is fashioned such that it exhibits a detuned characteristic frequency compared to the cylindrical jackets of the other containers and shields for an identical mode of characteristic oscillation. The cylindrical jackets thus behave in a manner comparable to a series circuit of filters having different passbands, so that the correspondingly fashioned cylindrical jacket acts as a magneto-mechanical blocking filter that effectively damps the forwarding of oscillations and losses. As a result, the eddy currents are minimized in the helium container, resulting in a lower evaporation rate of the liquid helium due to the slight heating of the helium container induced by eddy currents. Accordingly, time intervals for replenishing the liquid helium are long in an economically advantageous way. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0012]    [0012]FIG. 1 is a longitudinal section through a magnetic resonance apparatus in accordance with the invention.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 2 is a cross-section through a magnetic resonance apparatus in accordance with the invention.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIGS. 3 through 8 respectively illustrate different modes of characteristic oscillation of a cylindrical jacket.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 9 shows curves of an oscillatory amplitude of components of a basic field magnet with respect to the frequency in an inventive magnetic resonance apparatus.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 10 shows curves of eddy current losses with respect to the frequency pertaining to FIG. 9.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 11, for comparative purposes, curves of an oscillatory amplitude of components of a basic field magnet of the prior art.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 12 for comparative purposes, curves of eddy current losses pertaining to FIG. 11.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 13 illustrates a corrugated cylindrical jacket in accordance with the invention.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 14 illustrates a cylindrical jacket having a polygonal cross-section.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 15 shows curves of oscillatory amplitudes for a basic field magnet having a cylindrical jacket according to FIG. 13 or  14 .  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 16 shows curves of eddy current losses pertaining to FIG. 15.  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 17 illustrates a cylindrical jacket occupied with strips in accordance with the invention.  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 18 illustrates a cryoshield having a slotted, inner cylindrical jacket in accordance with the invention. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0025]    [0025]FIG. 1 shows a longitudinal section through a magnetic resonance apparatus as an exemplary embodiment of the invention. The magnetic resonance apparatus has a basic field magnet  100  and a gradient coil system  200 . An optimally uniform, static basic magnetic field is generated with the basic field magnet  100  at least within an imaging volume  250  of the magnetic resonance apparatus. Rapidly switched, magnetic gradient fields that are generated by the gradient coil system  200  are superimposed on the basic magnetic field within the imaging volume  250 . Further, known components of the magnetic resonance apparatus such as a radio-frequency antenna system, are not shown for reasons of clarity.  
         [0026]    The basic field magnet  100  is fashioned as an essentially hollow-cylindrical, superconducting basic field magnet. The basic field magnet  100  has an essentially hollow-cylindrical helium container  110  wherein superconducting solenoid coils  113  are arranged on a winding carrier  112 . The solenoid coils  113  are cooled to 4.2 K by the liquid helium that surrounds them. The helium container  110  is surrounded by a hollow-cylindrical 20-K cryoshield  120  that is in turn surrounded by a hollow-cylindrical 80-K cryoshield  130 . The cryoshields  120  and  130  allow optimally little thermal radiation to penetrate from the outside to the helium container  110  and they are implemented with a highly thermally conductive metal. By means of cryo-coolers, cold gas or liquid nitrogen, the 20-K cryoshield  120  is held at a temperature of 20 K and the 80-K cryoshield  130  is held at a temperature of 80 K. Finally, the 80-K cryoshield  130  is surrounded by an essentially hollow-cylindrical vacuum container  140 . The helium container  110  is connected to the 20-K cryoshield  120 , the two cryoshields  120  and  130  are connected to one another and the 80-K cryoshield  130  is connected to the vacuum container  140  in poorly thermally conductive fashion and at a mutual spacing of a few millimeters through a few centimeters, for example via thin fiber glass rods. The containers  110  and  140  and cryoshields  120  and  130  are respectively composed of an inner cylindrical jacket  116 ,  146 ,  126  and  136  and an outer cylindrical jacket  117 ,  147 ,  127  and  137  that are connected to one another via two end faces  118  and  119 ,  148  and  149 ,  128  and  129  as well as  138  and  139 , that are like apertured disks. The essentially hollow-cylindrical gradient coil system is arranged in the cylindrical cavity of the vacuum container  140 , for example by being force-fit in the cavity. The gradient fields are generated by suitable currents in gradient coils of the gradient coil system  250 .  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 2 shows a cross-section through the middle of the magnetic resonance apparatus of FIG. 1. The components of the magnetic resonance apparatus are referenced in conformity with FIG. 1.  
         [0028]    The following materials are selected for the containers  110  and  140  and cryoshields  120  and  130 : the vacuum container  140  is made of stainless steel, the 80-K cryoshield  130  is made of copper or brass, the 20-K cryoshield  120  is made of aluminum and the helium container  110  is made of stainless steel. The result of the aforementioned selection of materials is that the characteristic frequencies of the inner cylindrical jackets  146 ,  126  and  116  of the vacuum container  140 , and the characteristic frequencies of the 20-K cryoshield  120  and of the helium container  110  of stainless steel or aluminum in fact are comparable at least for a mode of characteristic oscillation that is the same for the containers  110  and  140  and cryoshields  120  and  130 . In contrast thereto, however, the inner cylinder jacket  136  of the 80-K cryoshield  130  exhibits a characteristic frequency that is detuned relative to the aforementioned characteristic frequency due to the jacket  136  being fashioned of copper or brass. As a result, the oscillatory transmission due to the magnetic coupling described with respect to claim 1—and which is indicated by arcuate arrows in FIG. 1—is inhibited in the direction of the helium container  110 . This is explained in detail below.  
         [0029]    [0029]FIGS. 3 through 5 show forms of characteristic oscillation of one of the inner cylindrical jackets  116 ,  126 ,  136  or  146  that, in particular, are induced by transverse gradient coils of the gradient coil system  200 . FIG. 3 shows a side view of a first characteristic oscillatory mode  330  of the cylindrical jacket  116 ,  126 ,  136  or  146  with a wave-like deformation in the axial direction, whereby a cross-section of the cylindrical jacket  116 ,  126 ,  136  or  146  in fact moves in oscillatory fashion outside nodes of the characteristic oscillatory form  330  but is not deformed itself. FIG. 4 shows a second characteristic oscillatory mode  340  of one of the inner cylindrical jackets  116 ,  126 ,  136  or  146  that differs from the first characteristic oscillatory mode  330  of FIG. 3 only in that it exhibits a wave form having a longer wavelength that deforms the inner cylindrical jacket  116 ,  126 ,  136  or  146  according to a bending vibration. Allocated to FIGS. 3 and 4, FIG. 5—considering the inner cylindrical jacket  116 ,  126 ,  136  or  146  in the axial direction—illustrates how the cross-section of the cylindrical jacket  116 ,  126 ,  136  or  146  moves in oscillatory fashion given the first and second characteristic oscillatory modes  330  and  340  without being deformed itself.  
         [0030]    [0030]FIGS. 6 and 8 show characteristic oscillatory modes of one of the inner cylindrical jackets  116 ,  126 ,  136  or  146  that, in particular, can be excited by a longitudinal gradient coil of the gradient coil system  200 . FIG. 6 shows a third characteristic oscillatory mode  360  of the cylindrical jacket  116 ,  126 ,  136  or  146  having a wave-like deformation in the axial direction, whereby the wave-like deformation is induced by a deformation of the cross-section that is different at different locations in the axial direction. This causes mechanical compression and stretching of the cylindrical jacket  116 ,  126 ,  136  or  146  in the circumferential direction and corresponding, tangential, elastic restoring forces. FIG. 7 shows a fourth characteristic oscillatory mode  370  of one of the inner cylindrical jackets  116 ,  126 ,  136  or  146  that differs from the characteristic oscillatory mode  360  of FIG. 6 only in that it has a waveform having a longer wavelength. Allocated to FIGS. 6 and 7, FIG. 8—considering the cylindrical jacket  116 ,  126 ,  136  or  146  in axial direction—illustrates how the cross-section of the cylindrical jacket  116 ,  126 ,  136  or  146  deforms given the third and fourth characteristic oscillatory modes  360  and  370 .  
         [0031]    The characteristic frequency of one of the inner cylindrical jackets  116 ,  126 ,  136  or  146  is dependent on the geometry as well as on the material of the cylindrical jacket  116 ,  126 ,  136  or  146 . The characteristic frequency f 0  for the third or fourth characteristic oscillatory modes  360  or  370 , which are shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, can be calculated in simplified form according to the following equation:  
         f   0     =       1     2      π              E       R   2        ρ                                 
 
         [0032]    The effective modulus of elasticity of the cylindrical jacket  116 ,  126 ,  136  or  146  is referenced E, the density thereof is referenced p and the radius thereof is referenced R. The aforementioned equation is from the book by R. D. Blevins, “Formulas for Natural Frequency and Mode Shapes”, van Nostrand-Verlag, New York, 1973, page 304, table 12-2, for the radial characteristic oscillatory mode No. 3.  
         [0033]    With R=0.44 m, E=170 GN/m 2  and ρ=7700 kg/m 3 , a characteristic frequency f 0 =1700 Hz arises for the vacuum container of stainless steel.  
         [0034]    With R=0.465 m, E=120 GN/m 2  and ρ=8900 kg/m 3 , a characteristic frequency f 0 =1257 Hz arises for the 80-K cryoshield of copper.  
         [0035]    With R=0.475 m, E=79 GN/m 2  and ρ=2700 kg/m 3 , a characteristic frequency f 0 =1812 Hz arises for the 20 K cryoshield of aluminum.  
         [0036]    With R=0.5 m, E=210 GN/m 2  and ρ=7700 kg/m 3 , a characteristic frequency f 0 =1662 Hz arises for the helium container of stainless steel.  
         [0037]    One can see that the characteristic frequencies f 0  of the inner cylindrical jackets  146 ,  126  and  116  of the vacuum container  140 , of the 20 K cryoshield  120  as well as of the helium container  110  lie close to one another and the characteristic frequency f 0  of the 80-K cryoshield  130 , in contrast, exhibits a noticeable detuning. The reason for the frequency spacing of more than 400 Hz between the characteristic frequency f 0  of the cylindrical jacket  130  given the 80-K cryoshield  130  from the characteristic frequency f 0  for the 20-K cryoshield and for the containers  110  and  140  is that the ratio of modulus elasticity E to density p for the 80-K cryoshield  130  formed of copper or brass clearly differs from corresponding conditions for the containers  110  and  140  of stainless steel and the 20-K cryoshield  120  of aluminum.  
         [0038]    The effects of the aforementioned detuning on the vibratory transmission and on the eddy current losses in the basic field magnet  100  shall be considered in greater detail below. For the above-described basic field magnet  100  having the 80-K cryoshield  130  of copper, FIG. 9 shows curves  416 ,  426 ,  436  and  446  of an axially directly oscillatory amplitude A of the inner cylindrical jackets  116 ,  126 ,  136  and  146  dependent on the frequency f given an excitation of the first characteristic oscillatory form  330  corresponding to FIG. 3. Triggered by the gradient coil system  200 , eddy currents are induced in the cylindrical jacket  146  of the vacuum container  140  that place the vacuum container  140  into vibration in the strong basic magnetic field. As a result further eddy currents are induced. The curve  446  of the oscillatory amplitude A of the vacuum container  140  with respect to the frequency f is shown with a dot-dashed line and exhibits a maximum in the region of the characteristic frequency of the excited, first characteristic oscillatory form  330 . Due to the magnetic coupling, a transmission of the oscillation of the vacuum container  140  to the 80-K cryoshield  130  occurs. The curve  436  of the oscillatory amplitude A of the cylindrical jacket  136  of the 80-K cryoshield  130  with respect to the frequency f is shown with a broken line and exhibits a maximum in the region of the characteristic frequency of the excited, first characteristic oscillatory form  330 . The characteristic frequency at 80-K cryoshield  130 , due to the implementation thereof copper or brass and similar to the third and fourth characteristic oscillatory mode  360  and  370 , is also clearly distanced for the first characteristic oscillatory mode  330  from the approximately identical characteristic frequencies at the containers  110  and  120  and at the 20-K cryoshield  120 . A further transmission of the oscillation of the 80-K cryoshield  130  to the 20-K cryoshield  120  and, further, to the helium container  110  is thus inhibited due to the effect of the cylindrical jacket  136  of the 80-K cryoshield  130  as a magneto-mechanical blocking filter. Corresponding curves  426  and  416  of the oscillatory amplitude A of the cylindrical jacket  126  of the 20-K cryoshield  120  and of the cylindrical jacket  116  of the helium container  110  exhibit correspondingly small amplitudes. The curve  426  for the 20-K cryoshield  120  is shown with a thin, solid line, and the curve  416  for the helium container  110  is shown with a boldface solid line.  
         [0039]    Related to FIG. 9, FIG. 10 shows the curves  516 ,  526 ,  536  and  546  pertaining to the curves  416 ,  426 ,  436 ,  446  of the eddy current losses P eddy  in the helium container  110 , in the 20-K cryoshield  120 , in the 80-K cryoshield  130  and in the vacuum container  140 . The curves  516  through  546  are shown in the same way as corresponding curves  416  through  446  in FIG. 9. One can see that the eddy current losses P eddy  in the helium container  110  are about equal to zero in frequency-independent fashion. As a result, losses in the helium container  110 , in the superconducting coils  113  and in the helium are prevented. As a result, a low evaporation rate of the liquid helium is achieved as a consequence of the slight eddy current-induced heating of the helium container  110 .  
         [0040]    Corresponding to FIGS. 9 and 10, FIGS. 11 and 13 show curves  616 ,  626 ,  636  and  646 —for comparative purposes—of an oscillatory amplitude A over the frequency f and appertaining curves  716 ,  726 ,  7367 , and  746  of eddy current losses P eddy  over the frequency f for a basic field magnet of the prior art. Compared to the basic field magnet  100  on which FIGS. 9 and 10 are based, the 80-K cryoshield in such a conventional basic field magnet is not formed of copper but of aluminum. The curves  616  through  746  are shown in the same way as corresponding curves  416  through  546  in FIGS. 9 and 10. Likewise for comparative purposes, the characteristic frequency f 0  of the inner cylindrical jacket of the 80-K cryoshield, further is first determined for the third and fourth characteristic oscillatory mode  360  and  370  of the 80-K cryoshield fabricated of aluminum. With R=0.465 m, E=78 GN/m 2  and ρ=2700 kg/m 3 , a characteristic frequency f 0 =1840 Hz arises, this being approximately the same as the characteristic frequencies f 0  given the 20-K cryoshield  120  of aluminum and given the containers  110  and  140  of stainless steel. Accordingly, no inhibition of the oscillatory transmission as a consequence of the magnetic coupling occurs in the basic field magnet of the prior art having containers of stainless steel and cryoshields of aluminum, so that the helium container as well as the 20-K cryoshield vibrate with noticeable amplitude and noticeable eddy current losses thus occur in the helium container. This can be seen particularly clearly by a comparison of FIGS. 11 and 12 to FIGS. 9 and 10.  
         [0041]    Embodiments of at least one of the cylindrical jackets  116 ,  126 ,  136  and  146  are described below, these exhibiting an effect comparable to the above-described embodiment of the 80-K cryoshield  130  of copper or brass.  
         [0042]    As an exemplary embodiment of the invention, FIG. 13 shows an inner cylindrical jacket  156  having a corrugated shaping. Compared to the non-corrugated cylindrical jackets  116 ,  126 ,  136  and  146 , the force/dilatation behavior for circumferential forces in the corrugated cylindrical jacket  156  becomes flatter, which means a smaller effective modulus of elasticity A, and, thus the characteristic frequency f 0  is effectively lowered. Shapings having wave amplitudes of less than approximately 0.5 cm and wavelengths from 5 through 30 cm are adequate for this purpose. Due to the corrugation, a reduced modulus of elasticity of, for example, E=20 GN/m 2  arises for the corrugated, inner cylindrical jacket  156  of an 80-K cryoshield R=0.465 m) of aluminum (ρ=2700 kg/m 3 ), so that a characteristic frequency f 0 =932 Hz arises. For inhibiting transmission of vibrations, it is particularly advantageous for a superconducting basic field magnet to alternate non-corrugated cylindrical jackets with corrugated cylindrical jackets.  
         [0043]    As a further exemplary embodiment of the invention, FIG. 14 shows an inner cylindrical jacket  166  having a polygonal cross-section. Effects similar to those set forth above for FIG. 13 are thereby achieved.  
         [0044]    Corresponding to Figures  9  and  10 , FIGS. 15 and 16 show curves  816 ,  826 ,  836  and  846  of an oscillatory amplitude A over the frequency f and appertaining curves  916 ,  926 ,  936  and  946  of eddy current losses P eddy  over the frequency f for a basic field magnet that, compared to the basic field magnet  100  on which FIGS. 9 and 10 are based, does not have an 80-K cryoshield  130  of copper but an 80-K cryoshield of aluminum fashioned in conformity with FIGS.  13  or  14  having the inner cylindrical jacket  156  or  166 . The curves  816  through  946  are shown in the same way as the corresponding curves  416  through  546  in FIGS. 9 and 10. When FIGS. 15 and 16 are compared to FIGS. 9 and 10, one can see that the 80-K cryoshield having the inner cylindrical jacket  156  or  166  of aluminum and the 80-K cryoshield  130  having the non-corrugated, inner cylindrical jacket  136  of copper or brass have an essentially equivalent effect with respect to the inhibition of the oscillatory transmission in the direction of the helium container  110  and with respect to a reduction of eddy current losses in the helium container  110 .  
         [0045]    As a further exemplary embodiment of the invention, FIG. 17 shows an inner cylindrical jacket  176  that is occupied with strips  179  with a heavy mass. Due to this increase in the mass moment of inertia that occurs by the cylindrical jacket  176  being made heavier due to the occupation with the strips  179 , a low ratio of modulus of elasticity E to density p and, thus, a low characteristic frequency f 0  are achieved. It should be noted that the modulus of elasticity E should be kept unmodified insofar as possible and only the density p should be increased due to the occupation with strips having high mass that are spaced from one another by slots. Accordingly, no lowering of the characteristic frequency f 0  can be achieved exclusively by means of a greater wall thickness of one of the inner cylindrical jackets  116 ,  126 ,  136  and  146 , since the mechanical stiffness, which is reflected in the modulus of elasticity A, also increases together with a greater wall thickness. In one embodiment, for example, 5 through 30 cm wide strips  179  of aluminum, steel or lead are secured by soldering, welding riveting or the like to the inner cylindrical jacket  176  in longitudinal direction.  
         [0046]    As a further exemplary embodiment of the invention, FIG. 18 shows a cryoshield  180  whose inner cylindrical jacket  186  is fashioned slotted in axial direction. The hollow-cylindrical cryoshield  180  is shown with a portion of the end face and an excised outer cylindrical jacket. The cylindrical  186  is thus composed of at least three, and up to approximately 30 individual segments that are separated from one another in the circumferential direction. The segments are connected to the end faces with good thermal conductivity. The reduced characteristic frequency f 0  of the cylindrical  186  fashioned in this way is derived from the interruption of mechanical circumferential stresses given radial motion, and thus reduced restoring forces.  
         [0047]    Although modifications and changes may be suggested by those skilled in the art, it is the intention of the inventor to embody within the patent warranted hereon all changes and modifications as reasonably and properly come within the scope of his contribution to the art.

Technology Classification (CPC): 6