Patent ID: 7728592

Claim:
A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus comprising: an examination region, at least one vacuum thermal isolation housing, a main magnet system for generating a main magnetic field in the examination region, and a cryogenic system integrated with the vacuum thermal isolation housing; wherein the vacuum thermal isolation housing comprises a double wall hermetically sealed high vacuum jacket maintained at a pressure of 10 −6 to 10 −12 Torr, which encloses a low vacuum space at a pressure between 10 −3 to 10 −6 Torr; said low vacuum space hosts at least one superconductor RF coil to provide a local examination region near a surface of the vacuum thermal isolation housing; said RF coil is in thermal contact with a heat sink assembly inside the low vacuum space; said heat sink assembly is coupled to the cryogenic system through a heat pipe to achieve and maintain a desired low temperature at the superconductor RF coil.