MRI Explosion

[isabelzavoranu]

Never put an MRI machine in a microwave.

[lizichell2]

I dooo love it when MRI machines explode

[PinkLederhosen]

Talk about good timing. It could have been so much worse. If it was going to explode that was probably the best place.

[mzrealm]

Helium Quench failure it seems.

[Locustx925]

whoa.

[nicpetnic]

Why do you think it needed to be replaced? lol

[angryadrien]

holy crap, I didn't know that they pressurised the magnets! yikes!

[TiredOldFart]

@angryadrien I didn't know they attempt to move them when they're pressurized.

[TheCrazy243]

Haha I'm glad that nothing happened to me during MRI .

[Tinkerbird]

(o.0) glad I did not watch this before my MRI. Though, I did think about it catching fire & stuff while I was in it. I hate small spaces!

[trespire]

Gee whizzzz gosh, wonder why it exploded!! Could it possible be because somebody was cutting corners to save a few bucks by not hiring professionals to decommission the cryogenic cooling system.

And yes, some one could have been injured.

[amberawsome]

haha that guy got owned 

[yallsaythat]

awsome i have 2 get a mri 2day

[tharqal]

fucking magnets

[MrKeyboardman100]

=0 im glad that did not happen to me in my last one.

[APOLOMILES]

no joke...this is how my dog died

[minusp]

@APOLOMILES when we decomm. magnets we kill the vacuum by putting nitrogen in the OVC. So you are right if the vac. was intact then for the helium to build up to explosion level would take long, but by procedure, we have to kill the vacuum when we decommission mags. So I doubt that magnet was moved with the vacuum intact. I just did my first decommission a few weeks ago, though I've worked with magnets for a while that was my first, and the process is a little scary. Its like a long quench

[lolilolimolimoli]

good that this not happens if a patient is in the mri O.O OMFG but i dont understand why!!!

[pauloz386]

There's your problem! 

[FRESNO4844]

WTF!!! I'm never going in 1 of those!!!

[solvalla2007]

Thanks God they could not sell it any further otherwise a human could've been injured

[bathbeads10]

LOL! its like: BEWMMIE KABEWM

[junkdeal]

Well here's the real-deal scoop on this:

I scrapped many units over the years. The container is under extreme vacuum conditions. A double-cryo can have both HE and N2, liquid. The insulation is the vacuum, plus the layers of Mylar inside. A live mag is bad-cold!! The quench switch in the room goes to a small heating element in the CENTER winding cylinder that is under pressure. It causes a rapid increase in pressure, which blows the burst disc. Either the disk was solid by mistake, or ...(cont)

[junkdeal]

(cont) see below first..................

....or it just couldn't relieve fast enough through the vent disc or piping. Oxford double-cryos were bolted at the end, and could blow like that. They're really not pressure vessels anyway. I don't think it was being vented by the quench switch, as it was on a truck, They might've opened a valve to vent it, and if they opened a VACUUM connection by mistake, that could cause that, as the loss would cause a super-boil! Guys that should know, don't!

[minusp]

@junkdeal I'm pretty sure what happened is that he magnet was decommissioned and was being taken out, BUT the helium vessel still had some left over helium in it that expanded causing pressure. they had put the ship kit on it (blocks some venting on the quench side since there is no risk of quench if a magnet doesnt have a field) BUT there was ice buildup on the top of the magnet (internally) that made it so the vent would not act properly and release pressure at the right psi causing the BOOM

[junkdeal]

@minusp You might be right, because I've received magnets with liquid helium inside. However, as long as vacuum is intact, it would take a long time to escape. One time, I got one that didn't go thru the quench cycle, so the burst disc was intact, and all valves were closed. A fair amount of helium was inside, you could tell by opening one little valve . We filled weather balloons with it. Then, I said "watch this!" And pierced the shell to let out vacuum. In no time, BOOM, goes the burst disc!

[boxa888]

@junkdeal man how does the coil look inside, is it all copper wound like a radio coil or is in tons of winds on top of eachother, how much voltage runs through these things, its amazing equipment!

[junkdeal]

@boxa888 At the very center is the coil spool. It is thick cast aluminum, or sometimes fiberglass. There are several channels around this spool, in which 1300 to 2000 lbs 0f copper-niobium wire is wound. I'm not sure of the voltage, but it is probably lower than the gradient coils carry.

[junkdeal]

@boxa888 Also, the copper-niobium wire is a mechanical fusion of copper and niobium. The cross-section view looks just like a hot-dog in a bun, with niobium showing through one side of the wire. It sells like copper wire, since the niobium can't be easily separated. It's actually a contaminant.

[minusp]

@boxa888 @junkdeal the voltage we use to put the current into the coils is less than 11 volts, however the current depending on the magnet ranges from 400-500 amps (give or take)

[johnip86]

"Hmm"

She sure was excited by the whole thing haha.

[DomusUlixes]

True, Cloress1.

A superconductive magnet is charged. And it will burn if it isn't decharged. If you unplug it, it can cool. If it is still charged while de-cooling, it will explode. due to the heat stored in the current.

If you decharge it, and unplug it, it will go gaseous but very slowly. And the pressure-valve's can handle it.

[Cloress1]

I would have thought that as the scanner's helium was no longer being cooled, it simply turned gaseous.

[bigtruckguy3500]

Perhaps if the helium turned gaseous too quick, the pressure change was too rapid to allow proper escape of the gas.

[symonh2000]

I think someone replaced the quench valve disc with something solid..

[Mednovotob]

There's a professor at the University of Alabama, Vlad Sobol (or something like that) who's written an article in which he's identified a bunch of MRI's that have had these sorts of 'quench-plosions'. I'll tell you that this one isn't the most recent, and certainly not the most dramatic / destructive!

[spuduka]

Oh dear I used to work for them bit embarissing that

[pdrerup]

it's liquid helium. It's temperature is -454 degrees. absolute zero is -459 I think. It's used to insulate the coils of wire in the machine. Very strong and amazing machines.

[paF4uko]

It's used to keep the coils in supraconductive state, not to insulate them... ;)

[quran777]

@ pdrerup,

Absolute zero is 0K on the Kelvin scale or -273 C on the celsius scale. Not sure of the temperature of liquid helium in the MRI machine though.. And I agree, they are very strong and amazing machines. : )

[shalafichg]

@pdrerup

u're wrong if you dont' use metrics units.

in any case youre wrong.

[factsnow]

Appears to be the Liquid Nitrogen - normally used to cool down the machine as it gets very hot while in use,

[zerotollerance1]

Normally liquid helium is the main form of coolant with liquid nitrogen acting as a cheaper buffer between the room temperature air and the approximately 4 K liquid helium.

[kkjgg112391]

the liquid nitrogen is used for super conduction needed by the magnets. these things don't run that hot at all. :)

[Disneydanny]

DJGahann type in "MRI Crash" into Youtube'a search bar for an even nuttier video

[DJGahann]

Hah, no refurbishment for this puppy :-/

[SeanButt]

it's so funny when things not meant to explode blow up without hurting anyone. Like huge beached whales and wedding cakes.

[Thedutchjelle]

I doubt the people who bought that thing found it funny :P

[trav1971]

wow I would have never guessed that!

[quantumbits]

Looks like they needed to contact the manufacturer and follow the proper decommissioning procedure.

[v4biker]

it is not possible to instantly ramp down a magnet safely. most medical scanners will require 1 to 6 hours to ramp down safely. it is possible to force a quench by pushing a button and it will shut down in a couple min with relative safty but this requires the exhaust vents work perfectly . most medical MRI units hold 1500 to 2000 liters of liquid helieum which converts to a gas at a 700 to one ratio

[abdullahstudent]

i know the best procedures cause i trained in seimen medical

canot belive tht

eng .Abdullah Ali Allam

[rainechosen]

lmao, my head, neck and back go into a MRI twice a year. I have MS, I hate those friggin MRIs. Smalled, confined tube, a cloisterphobic nightmare. I have to take a muscle relaxer everytime I get an MRI prior to the test.

If Tin Man went in there, that's be the end of hime, you can't put anything metal whatsoever inside that machine. It'll suck it right up.

[v4biker]

not all MRI units have to be long tight tubes there are open format systems and although most are low power units giving poor image quality some of the newer open systems can be a full one tesla system with good quality images. only ferromagnetic metals are attracted to a magnet metals like berrilium, bras titanium can be used safely in a MRI field. Anyway talk to your doc and see if there is a high field open magnet that you can have your tests done in

[RejectionMan]

BLEVE - Boiling Liquid Expnading Vapor Explosion.

A Gas compressed to liquid form was being vented off. This resulted in rapid boiling of the remaining liquid and rapid gas pressure build up. result is BANG.

Pretty common actual, trick is in keeping up with the vent rate or controling the boiling (cooling or pressure). eg. propane expangs to 240 times its liquid volume, it will not fit in the same size space as its liquid counter part unless you get it back into liquid form.

[v4biker]

If the deinstaller ramped down the magnet there would still be 1000 to 2000 liters liquid helieum without external without some form of refridgeration the gas would expand and vent out the exhaust, but remember this starts at -473 degrees farenheit the escaping gas would cause water vapor in the air to condense and freeze in the vent eventually blocking the path for escaping gas. the pressure would build up to a point where it would explode like an overinflated tire

[supersandor]

It could also have been caused if they didn't remove the current through the superconductor. All the energy in the magnetic field would have been released in an instant when the coil suddenly stopped superconducting and that's generally several megajoules. That's what happens when you stop the current in a huge inductor all at once. Or it could have just been the pressure from the cryogenic fluid.

[DJGahann]

I'd say the helium compartment sprung a leak due to pressure changes from venting. Any MRI can be safely shut down immediately with the press of an emergency button cutting power to coils. I work with small MRI's only, but that's what I can tell you.

[Constantine331]

cutting the power to a superconductor does not "shut it down"

as long as a superconductor is kept cold enough to continue 'superconducting' it can hold it's charge FOREVER. Literally.

[WoLpH]

That would not have helped though. The entire point of a superconductor is that it has 0 resistance, ergo, cutting the power _wont_ remove the charge it already contains. There are two ways of solving this, either tap all the power from the superconductor or heat up the superconductor so it stops being a superconductor.

[gizmopossible]

0 resistance? Wow, if that existed, it would take no energy for the thing to work. Lol, did you pass middle school? jk

[raunchbear]

You are an idiot.  You shouldn't have passed whatever you may have passed.

[gizmopossible]

Well you shouldn't have been born, so what's the difference? Your mom didn't want you to come out, but by mistake she thought she had to take a shit. Boy was she wrong!

[WoLpH]

You really should read something about superconductors, they do have 0 resistance. If the entire machine was one big superconductor than it would indeed use no energy. But since that is not the case your point is invalid.

Please get yourself informed before claiming someone else is an idiot.

[leetshoot]

Great, now im never getting into one, thanks

lol

[semethis]

Sure it's safe ...

[stonerj0e]

imagine if your head was in there?!?

[troshs]

I think that the MRI machine was a little ticked off that he was getting replaced. LOL this was his way of saying "SON OF A BITCH, YOU'LL NEVER TAKE ME ALIVE!"

I know, I'm a dork.

[masterrotc]

funny!

[Teenom]

funny dork!lol

[KidFunkyFry15]

imagine if ironman got an mri huh? yeah

[nurbsenvi]

ha.. ha...

Imagine a tin man getting a MRI huh? yay~

Doctor goes:

Oh my god you are missing a heart!

[wasabibaron]

im just wondering how technology is ever to blame? technology doesnt build technology, it doesnt evolve or devolve, think, design... it just does as its told. HUMANS design technology so ultimately due to human error technology fails.

[wechselkind]

it was suppose to be a beautiful day

[SatoriSoul]

MRI's are perfectly safe it's the technicians that are dangerous ;)

[christheferal]

we wouldn't have technicians without the technology

[SatoriSoul]

Human error is to blame... plain and simple... and since the technicians are responsible for both removal and installation of the units they are the ones who have ultimate responsibility for what occures. So I stand by my statement regardless of who does or doesn't like it, having had more then a few MRI's done I know they are safe and would reccomend that anyone get them who need them, in this case it was human error meaning the technicians were at fault- right or wrong the buck stops there.

[SatoriSoul]

And I agree with you 100%... Go Tech! I support it all the way... come hell or high water it's here to stay.

[christheferal]

@SatoriSoul ROFL! I was looking at old comments I've posted over the years. Just came across this one, I don't even know what I was trying to say when I replied to you.

[awsomeo12346]

The MRI was suicidal

[lespaulguy32]

@awsomeo12346 lol great one!!!

[ToYouWhoHaveEars]

Al-Qaeda did it! I think I see Osama back there.

[gaseous0emissions]

WHY did I have to watch this?! I have to have one on Thursday! AHHH!

[elleanor07]

holy shitzi

[elleanor07]

Omg! I dont think i even like mri! Like we never survived without it before I had an mri of my knee and it was misread by a radiologist not once but twice by the same radiologist and hartford shut off my medical due to this radiologist bad reading and now i have to have my leg sawed in half and plates and screws put in! I say phooofy with MRI! we have survived without it before and we can again I think i hate mri

[DammitDrag]

No more M.R.I.'s for me !

[eatingjif]

why does it say oxford on it i dont want an exploding mri near me thank u very much

[DTietje]

It says Oxford because that's the company that makes the actual magnet, in England.

[amkdeath]

damn engrish people are trying to kill us!!

[SarahJMcC]

what if.. someone was in there getting an mri scan? lmfao.

[Ouendanman64]

I hope no one was inside.

[insult0master]

A rapid liquid gas expansion, glad it was in transport.

[Cyclist051]

Id' say that's the explanation.

[gopalakrishnanms]

Is this a quenching episode ? when helium rapidly boils off from the superconduting magnet?

[zhouyak]

you are someone expert~~~^^

[TheBlindAcorn]

OOPS

[manneythecat]

Yah! Big oops!!

[irateyourvideo2]

"a surge of pressure from within the machine caused it to explode"

thanks for the details mr. wizard.

[crewalpha]

douchebag

[koolbossjock]

WOW!! Thats the last time i slide into one of those.

[mur38]

You're not wrong! shot out like a human cannonball.

[Ravenpulse]

oh shiiiit!!! haha the pieces just go flyin, i like metal snow btw

[DigiTan000]

Hope it was insured.

[nosmosis]

Typical. Must have been a Siemens.

[drrjv]

Yup, it was

[TheKwEeNofKoRn]

this happened near where i live. i dont remember it though. god thats weird.

[zergminor]

looks like they forgot to quench the magnet before moving it. BIG mistake

[brutusisfree]

this is bullshit. MRI are totaly safe as long as you follow instructions. A yokel off the street could run and maintain it if he followed instructions.

What, we should ban pencils cuz some asshole stabbed himself in the eye?

[Somilo]

It's America, we can do stuff like that. Deal with it. If you dont like it, move to Iraq so you can get bombed and THEN try to insult America.

[sylwek99]

So big 'boil off' visible on the begining is not typical. Cryostat is inside the vacuum space. I suppose, this vacuum was broken a few moments before (maybe from the front because explosion was in this direction), high temperature air flown into the magnet and boil off very quickly LHe. Exhausting pipe/hole was to small for so big pressure and gas destroyed the weak place...

[trooper0096]

I know a police officer who responded to a burglary in progress at a medical office and he was stuck to the MRI becuase of all the metal on his gun belt. Another officer hit the emergency button in the room which caused 20000 in damage to the machine and it didnt even release the metal.

[carl95125]

Remember while it may not have caused this magnet to explode, MRI magnets do not always stay superconductive for a number of reasons,LHe level is too low, magnetic field gets too high etc. which leads to a condition known as Quench, making the magnet very hot, very fast and boiling off the LHe very quickly, causing really Big problems if not handled in the right way. Carl

[kacher0]

In the presence of burgers, nitrogen gas takes up 645.3 times the space liquid nitrogen. The expansion can be quite sudden, resulting in funny videos for You Tube.

[LeoDJ1992]

me no

[mrcsebrazil]

definitively "physicsprofessor" is right. All superconductive magnet has a overpressure valve, that keeps the pressure inside the magnet at about 2/3psi; a quench valve that is opened over 15psi and a bursting disk, that is broken over 20psi. All of this to prevent this kind of situation...

[viewer2342]

maybe some valve was blocked in the process of loading and fixating this thing on its trailer.

[physicsprofessor]

MRI's are not "hot". MRI magnets are "superconducting" - current flows in wire that when cooled with liquid helium (LHe) temp has almost no resistance. Magnets have > 2K liters of LHe under pressure in a "cryostat". In the "explosion" here, most likely the vent had been disconnected for transport and the vent port blocked off causing a build up of pressure to a point where the cryostat could no longer contain the pressure and it "exploded".

[physicsprofessor]

MRI's are not "hot". MRI magnets are "superconducting" - current flows in wire that when cooled with liquid helium (LHe) temp has almost no resistance. Magnets have > 2K liters of LHe under pressure in a "cryostat". In the "explosion" here, most likely the vent had been disconnected for transport and the vent port blocked off causing a build up of pressure to a point where the cryostat could no longer contain the pressure and it "exploded".

[Cdratz]

Hey Why does the MRI make noise if it is a EM and your just passing current through it, that doesn't make much sense to me cause there are no moving parts.

[physicsprofessor]

The noise dose not come from the magnet, it comes from the "gradient coils". The gradient coils switch on and off rapidly (~2 kHz) causing a torque on the former that holds them making the machine gun sound.

[GALACTOSE]

MRI's are extremely hot when operating and so they have hundreds of gallons of water or liquid nitrogen, etc pumped in when scanning. MRI's are attached to a vent which goes straight to the roof. In the event of a "meltdown," the MRI would cause the room to implode on itself - sucking all the oxygen out of the room and out of everyone's lungs (of course). This doesn't happen, though, because of the vent. It's cool to see it happen in this video, anyways...

[strongyt]

Galactose is not correct in any respect. The room will not implode, the oxygen will not be "sucked out" (though it can be displaced by N or He), and nothing will come flying out of your lungs...the biggest danger is that the room will become pressurized by expanding cryogens. Physicsprofessor is correct.