The world's first 950MHz magnet system for nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy will be installed at Oxford University's department of biochemistry in May 2005
In May 2005, Oxford University's department of biochemistry will take delivery of the world's first 22.31 Tesla, 950MHz NMR magnet system for nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy.
The 950MHz magnet system, manufactured by Oxford Instruments Superconductivity for the university's NMR protein structure group, generates the highest commercially available field strength for NMR A new niobium-based superconductor with significantly enhanced critical current density capacity (Jc) has been developed for the 950MHz system by sister company Oxford Superconducting Technology, in Cateret New Jersey.
The introduction of this new superconductor provides the additional Jc necessary for the development of UHF NMR magnet systems without the requirement to revert to high temperature superconductors for the innermost windings of the NMR magnet. This new superconductor allows for the design of more compact solenoids while maintaining already industry-leading operational parameters, such as central field drift and homogeneity.
In parallel with its superconductor development programme, Oxford Instruments Superconductivity has developed proprietary state-of-the-art coil structure and coil structure reinforcement technologies.
Critical to the successful operation of any UHF 950MHz NMR magnet system, the enormous intra-coil forces and stresses must be successfully contained during normal operating conditions and in the event of a quench.
"Our magnet design philosophy incorporates not only the more obvious superconductor Jc properties necessary to generate the required field strength, but also the coil structures and reinforcing necessary to provide reliable mechanical integrity under all operating conditions. "The installation of the 950MHz system to the internationally recognised NMR protein structure group at Oxford University will significantly improve resolution and sensitivity; assisting their continued research into the structural, mechanistic and functional properties of modular proteins associated with cell adhesion and signalling", said Chris Russell, director at Oxford Instruments Superconductivity.
The 950MHz system provides an excellent platform for technology that will lead to the future development of a 1GHz NMR magnet. Furthermore, this technology will enable the development of a new generation of compact lower field NMR magnets resulting in systems with significantly reduced footprint and improved stray field containment.
Oxford University's Professor Iain Campbell said: "We are extremely pleased that Oxford Instruments continue to push back the frontiers of superconducting magnet technology.
"We very much look forward to receiving its new system for NMR that will operate at 950MHz.
"This will allow us to collect data at the highest field strength in the world.
"We are confident that the data collected on the new instrument will give new insight into the structure and interactions of a wide range of protein molecules."
