When Helium Dries Up
As helium reserves tighten, the greatest impact could be on healthcare and small-scale scientific research. For example, a shortage could restrict the ability to obtain an MRI, too, if scanners become difficult to maintain with little helium to be found.
"Helium is absolutely essential to MRI production," says Tom Rauch, global sourcing manager for GE Healthcare, one of the largest manufacturers of MRI systems. The most important component of an MRI system is a large magnet containing superconducting wire cooled to 4.2 Kelvin, or minus 452 F. "Helium is currently the only element on Earth that can effectively keep the magnet this cold and consequently allow for the high field strength, stable and uniform magnetic fields that make modern MRI systems possible," he says.
And, he says, though companies like GE are trying to conserve as much helium as possible during the manufacturing process, MRI machines need a lot it: up to 10,000 liters of helium, with up to 2000 liters remaining in a sealed vacuum system around the magnet.
"If the supply constraint on helium continues unabated, it could be very harmful to patient care," he says. "If there were no helium to properly service an MRI, a ‘quench,’ or sudden boil-off could occur. While there is no immediate patient safety risk, a magnet could sustain permanent damage and may need to be replaced—an expensive and time-consuming process.
Read more: Helium Shortage - Why Is There a Helium Shortage? - Popular Mechanics
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