en.Wedoany.com Reported - On June 3, 2026, the "230MeV Helium-Free Cyclotron Superconducting Magnet System" independently developed by Suzhou Eight Horses Superconducting Technology Co., Ltd. successfully completed all performance tests, with all indicators meeting design standards. The system was smoothly delivered to the customer and is about to be put into clinical application.

This is the first compact 230MeV helium-free conduction-cooled proton cyclotron superconducting magnet system in China for clinical use, providing support for the localization and large-scale application of the proton therapy industry.

Three Core Technical Highlights Redefining Proton Therapy Equipment

1. Highlight One: Conduction Cooling

Pain Point: Liquid Helium, the "Golden Shackle" Hindering the Popularization of Proton Therapy

The core component of proton therapy—the cyclotron superconducting magnet—traditionally must be immersed in liquid helium to maintain its superconducting state. This not only requires each device to be equipped with a quench discharge safety system, complex liquid helium recovery, and refilling systems, but also incurs high operating costs: a rough estimate shows that a conventional proton therapy system's annual maintenance costs related solely to liquid helium exceed 1 million RMB. More critically, the global supply of liquid helium is highly unstable and relies on imports. If the supply is cut off, the entire treatment center could shut down. The persistently high operation and maintenance costs, coupled with the risk of supply chain bottlenecks, have prevented proton therapy from expanding beyond a few top-tier hospitals, hindering its large-scale clinical application.

Challenge: From "Liquid Helium Immersion" to "Conduction Cooling," Overcoming Three Major Physical Hurdles

Transitioning from the mature "liquid helium solution" to "helium-free conduction cooling" is not simply a matter of "removing the liquid helium." The engineering team at Eight Horses Superconducting faced systemic challenges involving coupled thermal, mechanical, and electrical physics:

● Exponential Attenuation of Thermal Conductivity

In the deep cryogenic range below 4K (-269°C), the thermal conductivity of conventional solid materials drops by tens of times. Efficiently transferring the cooling power from the cryocooler to the remote ends of the multi-ton superconducting magnet is the first major hurdle for conduction cooling.

● Risk of Tearing from Mechanical Stress and Thermal Contraction

Cooling from 300K room temperature to 4K results in vastly different contraction rates for various materials, with radial contraction potentially reaching several millimeters. Improper structural design can lead to contact surface separation, causing heat transfer failure, or worse, damage to the superconducting wire, resulting in irreversible damage.

● Quench Protection—A Race Against Time Without the "Buffer" of Liquid Helium

In the liquid helium solution, the helium can absorb some energy during a quench. However, under conduction cooling, the heat from a local quench can spread through the metallic thermal bridge, potentially destroying the entire magnet within seconds. The protection system must respond in milliseconds.

These challenges had no ready-made answers. After months of theoretical analysis, multi-physics simulations, dozens of prototype iterations, and destructive material testing, the engineering team at Eight Horses Superconducting systematically overcame the full-chain technical bottlenecks—from material interfaces and flexible supports to graded protection—ultimately transforming "conduction cooling" from an impossibility into a reliable product solution.

2. Highlight Two: Independent Design and Manufacturing, Self-Controlled Supply Chain

● System-Level Independent Design

From the top-level scheme to core components, 100% self-controlled. The company's engineering team independently tackled and fully designed the overall superconducting magnet system and its core subsystems, including the electromagnetic stress scheme, conduction cooling scheme, cryogenic insulation thermal balance design, tie-rod suspension scheme, and quench protection scheme.

● Independent Manufacturing, Self-Controlled Supply Chain

From design to delivery, the core processes and components of the entire system are independently mastered by the company, with over 90% localization rate for the complete machine. Notably, the multiple GM cryocooler systems integrated into the system are all independently developed and manufactured by Eight Horses Superconducting. Key performance indicators such as cold head power, cooling rate, and long-term operational stability have reached internationally leading levels, eliminating reliance on any imported brands.

3. Highlight Three: Cold Head Replacement in Cold State, No Warm-Up Required

When replacing the cold head of a traditional liquid helium-immersed superconducting magnet, although no warm-up step is needed, each replacement causes the instantaneous evaporation of hundreds of liters of liquid helium, resulting in a single loss of up to hundreds of thousands of RMB. Furthermore, it takes several days to restore thermal equilibrium after refilling with liquid helium, making the operating costs and downtime non-negligible.

Other conduction cooling solutions (such as direct cooling by some cryocoolers) often require warming the entire magnet to room temperature to replace the cold head, a process that takes weeks and carries high risks.

Our conduction cooling system, supported by proprietary technology, has achieved a breakthrough: direct cold head replacement in the cold state:

● No warm-up required, reducing downtime from weeks to hours;

● No liquid helium loss, completely eliminating expensive consumables and supply chain risks;

Truly achieving "replace and use immediately, with virtually no downtime."

Company Profile

Founded at the end of 2018, Suzhou Eight Horses Superconducting Technology Co., Ltd. focuses on the extreme physical environment fields of "superconductivity, ultra-low temperature, and ultra-high vacuum." It offers products including superconducting magnets, GM cryocooler systems, and cryopump systems, widely applied in industries such as controlled nuclear fusion, quantum technology, particle therapy, semiconductors, and general industry. To date, its products have been exported to multiple countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany, Turkey, South Korea, and Russia.

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