A zero boiloff cryogen cooled recondensing superconducting magnet assembly
including superconducting magnet coils suitable for magnetic resonance
imaging including a cryogen pressure vessel to contain a liquid cryogen
reservoir to provide cryogenic temperatures to the magnet coils for
superconducting operation; a vacuum vessel surrounding the pressure
vessel and spaced therefrom; a first thermal shield surrounding and
spaced from the pressure vessel; a second thermal shield surrounding and
spaced from the first thermal shield and intermediate the vacuum vessel
and the first shield; a cryocooler thermally connected by a first and a
second thermal interface to the first and second thermal shields,
respectively; a recondenser positioned in the space between the pressure
vessel and the first thermal shield and thermally connected by a thermal
interface to the cryocooler to recondense, back to liquid, cryogen gas
provided from the pressure vessel; and means for returning the
recondensed liquid cryogen the pressure vessel; wherein the second
thermal shield surrounding the first thermal shield reduces a radiation
heat load from the first thermal shield to the pressure vessel lowering
boiloff of cryogen gas under conditions of failure or power off of the
cryocooler.