The world is about to run out of helium . Why do doctors worry?
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- Liquid helium is the coldest element on the earth and needs to keep the magnets in the MRI machine working normally.
- Without it, doctors will lose essential medical tools.
- hospital has not cancelled the patient's MRI or turned off the machine.
Global helium shortage has caused doctors to worry about One of the most important uses of natural gas , perhaps unexpected uses: NMR imaging . It looks strange that the elements that give balloon buoyancy lighter than air also power important medical diagnostic machines. Without approximately 2,000 liters of ultra-cooled liquid helium, MRI cannot run, which keeps its magnets cold enough to run. But helium — a non-renewable element found deep in the earth’s crust — is running out, leaving hospitals wondering how to plan for a much smaller supply in the future.
" helium has become a big problem," said Mahadevappa Mahesh, professor of radiology at Johns Hopkins Medical School in Baltimore. " especially now, geopolitical situation".
For many years, helium has been an unstable commodity. This is especially true in the United States, where federal helium reserves in Texas are declining as the government tries to transfer ownership to private markets.
Until this year, the United States relied on Russia to ease supply tensions. A huge new facility in eastern Russia was supposed to supply nearly a third of the world's helium, but a fire in January last year derailed the timeline. Although the facility may resume operations at any time now, the war in Ukraine has largely stopped trade between the two countries.
Kornbluth, president of Helium Consulting, said that 4 of the top five helium suppliers in the United States are rationing this element. These suppliers prioritize the healthcare industry, reducing the distribution of helium to less important customers.
" will definitely distribute helium," said Donna Craft, regional construction manager at Premier Health, which contracts with helium suppliers from about 4,000 hospitals. " We may no longer blow balloons in the gift shop."
The hospital has not cancelled the patient's MRI or shut down the machine. Still, they saw the cost of helium rise at an alarming rate — possibly up to 30%, Kornbluth speculated. But the future of MRI remains uncertain as the prospect of helium shortages cannot see an end.
Luohua News Agency
