Doctors are concerned about the global shortage of helium. What about an MRI?

We fill balloons with it and use it in some electronic devices and also use it to cool superconducting magnets in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners – in short, aboutWe take the existence of helium for granted, and at the same time, we have already almost exhausted most of the stocks of this non-renewable element. (It results from radioactive decay that takes thousands of years) And we’re having some really serious problems.

It’s getting harder to buy Hel, its price is going up, and that’s just the beginning – the Russian Amur gas processing plant has fallen victim to two fires this year, which puts us on the side of the war in Ukraine and trade restrictions. In a very difficult position. According to CNBC, Suppliers have even started rationing gas and reducing the quantities sold to “non-priority customers”.To secure the majority for the medical industry.

Doctors fear a global shortage of helium Patients will be denied access to one of the best diagnostic tools, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This gives doctors a very detailed look at what’s going on in our bodies, revealing all the abnormalities and lesions in the bones and internal organs, from internal bleeding to cancer.

But MRI work requires superconducting magnets to be cooled to extremely low temperaturesWhich helium is able to save – unfortunately we are talking about very large quantities of helium, that is, 2000 liters per device, which need to be refilled every 3-4 years. Until now, hospitals didn’t have to worry about that much, but there are now many indications that expensive screening will become more expensive, and eventually unavailable. it is The hope is … Exploration of the Moon, because the Earth of the satellite probably contains a lot of heliumBut there is still a long way to go to this point.