Medical professionals are concerned about helium shortages worldwide.
Many doctors fear that hospitals will soon be unable to perform MRIs (magnetic resonance imaging) due to a lack of helium, the coldest element on earth.
The MRIs’ superconducting magnets, which provide high-resolution images of the human body and enable the machines to function effectively, need to be cooled with about 2,000 liters of liquid helium.
According to a study published in the Journal of the American College of Radiology, an average MRI machine uses up to 10,000 liters of liquid helium throughout its lifetime.
“You get these sharp images, and you can distinguish soft tissues,” Dr. Scott Reeder, chief of MRI at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, told NBC News. “It’s central to many things we do in modern medicine.”
According to Kornbluth Helium Consulting president Phil Kornbluth, four of five major helium suppliers in the United States ration the element for the healthcare industry.
It is unlikely that hospitals will cease operating machines or cancel patients’ MRIs, but Kornbluth said helium costs had risen about 30%, and cancellations could occur.
