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Superconducting applications of Niobium-Titanium Alloys in medical devices

The superconducting properties of niobium-titanium alloys make them the core material of high-end medical equipment. In magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), niobium-titanium alloy superconducting magnets can generate a uniform magnetic field of 1.5-3.0T, and the imaging resolution is 30% higher than that of traditional permanent magnets. Its multi-core composite structure (tens of thousands of 5-50μm superconducting wires embedded in a copper matrix) not only ensures zero-resistance current transmission, but also prevents the risk of quenching through copper-based thermal conductivity, and the maintenance cycle exceeds 1 year.

In the field of precision treatment, niobium-titanium alloys support a number of breakthrough technologies:
1. Magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS): Using the real-time imaging function of niobium-titanium magnets, ultrasonic energy can be precisely focused on the lesion (error <1mm), which is used for non-invasive treatment of uterine fibroids, bone metastases, etc.

2. Proton therapy equipment: Niobium-titanium superconducting deflection magnets (magnetic field strength 2-5T) control the path of the proton beam with a positioning accuracy of 0.5mm. At the same time, the quadrupole focusing magnet compresses the beam diameter to less than 1mm to reduce radiation damage to normal tissues.

3. Magnetoencephalogram (MEG): The superconducting magnetic shielding room constructed by niobium-titanium alloy coils can attenuate environmental magnetic field interference to 10^-17T, capture weak signals of brain neuronal activity (10^-15T), and provide millimeter-level accuracy for preoperative positioning of epilepsy.

Compared with materials such as niobium-tin, the cost of niobium-titanium alloy is only 1/3-1/2 of that, which has promoted the popularization of high-field MRI and proton therapy equipment. With the development of 7.0T MRI, niobium-titanium alloys complement high-temperature superconducting materials (such as REBCO) and further expand the application boundaries.