Company History
Cutting Edge Superconductors (CES), Inc. was founded on November 22, 2011 by Dr. Yong-Jihn Kim, based on his next generation cryogen-free MRI patent. He is a Physics Professor at the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez Campus, since August 2001. He is originally from South Korea. He got his Ph. D. from Seoul National University in Korea and did postdoctoral researches at Harvard and Purdue.
MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) uses a superconducting magnet to produce the image. The stronger the magnetic field is, the better the image quality is. The current MRI relies on the superconductor, NbTi, which requires liquid helium cryogen for very low temperature operation, and the concomitant high costs of maintenance.
In 2001, a new material, MgB2 was found to be a high transition temperature superconductor, with a potential of producing low cost cryogen-free MRI. This next generation MRI will be almost maintenance free, and therefore it will reduce the MRI scan cost up to 40%.
Dr. Kim has been working on superconductivity over 20 years. In 2001 he immediately identified the superconducting mechanism of this newly discovered superconductor, MgB2, by inventing a new method. So the most important scientific problem has been resolved by him.
Now he is tackling the most important technological problem of MgB2, i.e., improving the current carrying properties of MgB2 wires enough to fabricate 1.5T and 3.0T MRI. He also quickly invented a new technique, which has been patented in the US (no. 7,791,343 and no. 8,390,293), Korea (no. 10-1092345), and European Union (no. 2,173,247). Among European Union, it was registered in Germany, Netherlands, Italy, UK and France. Recently the Chinese Patent Office allowed his patent (no. 101765399) on May 6, 2013. His patent is also pending in Japan. CES, Inc. has the exclusive license of his patents and is ready to control the global MRI equipment market. The annual market size is about $5 Billion in 2013. It is estimated that this next generation cryogen-free MRI will reduce the MRI scan cost about 40%, significantly improving public health service.
In December 2011, CES Inc. has won the 1st Prize of the EnterPrize Business Plan competition, organized by the Guayacan Group. With the prize money of $25,000, CES Inc. started to operate for producing prototype MgB2 wires for the next generation 1.5T and 3.0T MRI. In June 2012, CES Inc. has also won the 2nd Prize in the InnoVenture 2012 Technology Based Business Plan competition, organized by the Puerto Rico Small Business and Technology Development Center (PRSBTDC). The Prize money was $15,000. In June 2012, PRSBTDC awarded Phase 0 funding of $5,000 to CES Inc. for preparing NSF SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) Phase I funding.
In January 2013, CES Inc. received the award of $50,000 from Puerto Rico Science, Technology, and Research Trust (PR Science Trust). In June 3, 2013, CES Inc. also won the NSF SBIR Phase I fund of $150,000, and a matching fund of $100,000 from PR Science Trust. The NSF SBIR Program Director, Dr. Ben Schrag informed that CES Inc’s Project is in Top 30%, among the awarded Projects. The success rate of SBIR award, among the proposed proposals, is about 15%. So NSF has high expectations on CES Inc. The fund will be used to produce the prototype MgB2 wires for next generation MRI. The NSF SBIR Project will be executed in collaboration with Luvata, the leading superconducting wire company around the world. The Project is also strongly supported by GE, the leading MRI company.
The collaboration with Luvata and GE allows CES Inc. to bring its patented cryogen-free 1.5T and 3.0T MRI to market. CES Inc. will provide its patented MgB2 powders, mixed with both magnetic and nonmagnetic impurities, to Luvata. Using these powders, Luvata will fabricate about 10km long wires and will supply these wires to GE. Employing these wires, GE will manufacture next generation cryogen-free 1.5T and 3.0T MRI, and bring the next generation MRI to market.
CES Inc. will establish manufacturing facility of MgB2 wires in Puerto Rico, creating a few hundred High Tech jobs. CES and Luvata are in the process of having Cooperative Research Agreement for that purpose.
CES Inc. is in Vitec2, small business incubator in Mayaguez. Dr. Kim is President and CEO. Ms. Teresa Breda is Marketing Director and Dr. Lysa Chizmadia is R&D Director. The positions of CFO (Chief Financial Officer) and R&D Staffs are available. Katsi Gomez is the Executive Assistant.
CES Inc. is dedicated to boost the Economy of Puerto Rico, bringing its patented next generation cryogen-free 1.5T and 3.0T MRI to market.
MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) uses a superconducting magnet to produce the image. The stronger the magnetic field is, the better the image quality is. The current MRI relies on the superconductor, NbTi, which requires liquid helium cryogen for very low temperature operation, and the concomitant high costs of maintenance.
In 2001, a new material, MgB2 was found to be a high transition temperature superconductor, with a potential of producing low cost cryogen-free MRI. This next generation MRI will be almost maintenance free, and therefore it will reduce the MRI scan cost up to 40%.
Dr. Kim has been working on superconductivity over 20 years. In 2001 he immediately identified the superconducting mechanism of this newly discovered superconductor, MgB2, by inventing a new method. So the most important scientific problem has been resolved by him.
Now he is tackling the most important technological problem of MgB2, i.e., improving the current carrying properties of MgB2 wires enough to fabricate 1.5T and 3.0T MRI. He also quickly invented a new technique, which has been patented in the US (no. 7,791,343 and no. 8,390,293), Korea (no. 10-1092345), and European Union (no. 2,173,247). Among European Union, it was registered in Germany, Netherlands, Italy, UK and France. Recently the Chinese Patent Office allowed his patent (no. 101765399) on May 6, 2013. His patent is also pending in Japan. CES, Inc. has the exclusive license of his patents and is ready to control the global MRI equipment market. The annual market size is about $5 Billion in 2013. It is estimated that this next generation cryogen-free MRI will reduce the MRI scan cost about 40%, significantly improving public health service.
In December 2011, CES Inc. has won the 1st Prize of the EnterPrize Business Plan competition, organized by the Guayacan Group. With the prize money of $25,000, CES Inc. started to operate for producing prototype MgB2 wires for the next generation 1.5T and 3.0T MRI. In June 2012, CES Inc. has also won the 2nd Prize in the InnoVenture 2012 Technology Based Business Plan competition, organized by the Puerto Rico Small Business and Technology Development Center (PRSBTDC). The Prize money was $15,000. In June 2012, PRSBTDC awarded Phase 0 funding of $5,000 to CES Inc. for preparing NSF SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) Phase I funding.
In January 2013, CES Inc. received the award of $50,000 from Puerto Rico Science, Technology, and Research Trust (PR Science Trust). In June 3, 2013, CES Inc. also won the NSF SBIR Phase I fund of $150,000, and a matching fund of $100,000 from PR Science Trust. The NSF SBIR Program Director, Dr. Ben Schrag informed that CES Inc’s Project is in Top 30%, among the awarded Projects. The success rate of SBIR award, among the proposed proposals, is about 15%. So NSF has high expectations on CES Inc. The fund will be used to produce the prototype MgB2 wires for next generation MRI. The NSF SBIR Project will be executed in collaboration with Luvata, the leading superconducting wire company around the world. The Project is also strongly supported by GE, the leading MRI company.
The collaboration with Luvata and GE allows CES Inc. to bring its patented cryogen-free 1.5T and 3.0T MRI to market. CES Inc. will provide its patented MgB2 powders, mixed with both magnetic and nonmagnetic impurities, to Luvata. Using these powders, Luvata will fabricate about 10km long wires and will supply these wires to GE. Employing these wires, GE will manufacture next generation cryogen-free 1.5T and 3.0T MRI, and bring the next generation MRI to market.
CES Inc. will establish manufacturing facility of MgB2 wires in Puerto Rico, creating a few hundred High Tech jobs. CES and Luvata are in the process of having Cooperative Research Agreement for that purpose.
CES Inc. is in Vitec2, small business incubator in Mayaguez. Dr. Kim is President and CEO. Ms. Teresa Breda is Marketing Director and Dr. Lysa Chizmadia is R&D Director. The positions of CFO (Chief Financial Officer) and R&D Staffs are available. Katsi Gomez is the Executive Assistant.
CES Inc. is dedicated to boost the Economy of Puerto Rico, bringing its patented next generation cryogen-free 1.5T and 3.0T MRI to market.