Technology Of IRAS
The IRAS satellite was cooled by 720 liters of superfluid liquid helium which is pumped to keep the temperature at 1.6 K. The pumping uses the superfluid property, diffusing out through a porous brass plug to achieve the pumping. The helium vents are symmetric and matched to one part in 1000 to prevent the application oftorque to the satellite.
Communication of data from the satellite was an interesting application of geosynchronous communication satellites.
The potential applications of super fluids are not as exciting and wide-ranging as those of superconductors, but dilution refrigerators and spectroscopy are two areas where super fluids have found use. Perhaps the most interesting application of super fluids today is purely educational, showing how quantum effects can become macroscopic in scale under certain extreme conditions.
Aphios Corporation has developed an improved process utilizing Super fluids™ for the formation of small, uniform liposomes (nanosomes) to improve the delivery and therapeutic efficacy of poorly water-soluble drugs while reducing their toxicities. In Aphios’ Super fluids™ critical fluid nanosome (CFN) process, Super fluids™ at appropriate conditions of pressure and temperature are utilized to solvate phospholipids, cholesterol and other nanosomal raw materials in an apparatus. This Super fluids™ CFN injection technique is ideally suited for the nanoencapsulation of proteins, DNA and small hydrophilic drugs.Super fluids™ CFN evaporation can be uniquely utilized to encapsulate very hydrophobic molecules such as the potent anticancer drug a very effective topoisomerase-I inhibitor and other anticancer and anti-HIV therapeutics. In this technique, the hydrophobic drug(s) are directly solvated in the Super fluids™ prior to injection into a phosphate-buffered saline or other biocompatible solution. After decompression through a nozzle, the Super fluids™ evaporate off leaving an aqueous solution of nanosomes entrapping hydrophobic molecules within their lipid bilayers.Aphios has utilized Super fluids™ CFN to develop nanosomal formulations and other poorly water-soluble therapeutics.