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Technology Stocks : Conductus (NASDAQ: CDTS) superconductors
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To: Roland Fehrenbacher who wrote ()5/27/1996 12:35:00 PM
From: phbolton   of 352
 
Conductus and Varian: the relation to PCS Varian is now selling a NMR, nuclear magnetic resonance, probe based on high Tc superconductors made by conductus. These NMR probes operate at 400 MHz and are used to detect the radiofrequency magnetic field generated by the proton nuclei inside of a superconducting magnet. The systems utilize a closed cycle helium refrigerator to keep the probe at 22 degrees kelvin. This is not a big market. About 400 high field NMR spectrometers are sold per year (and operate at frequencies up to 800 MHz) and I would guess that the total market for the superconducting probes is about 100 to 200 units at about $40,000 per probe. This market is also limited since the superconducting probes have inherent limitations with high dielectric constant solvents and these are the ones of most interest since they are required for most biologically interesting samples. A conventional probe is about $20,000. The problems with temperature regulation and so on make it unlikely that these new probes will be truly competitive with conventional technology for a few years yet. The probe construction uses the same technologies that will be needed for PCS antennas since it involves deposition of the superconductor, photolitography of the superconductor, superconductor-normal connections, tuning of the superconductor antenna to an rf frequency, unattened temperature regulation and so on. The PCS market is, of course, a zillion times larger than the NMR market. Since a typical PCS antenna installation goes for $300,000+ (mostly for the tower/or renting the space) the incremental cost of a superconducting antenna is small especially if this allows either fewer antennas or better service then this technology may have a shot. The antenna technology looks pretty good right now I would look real close at the refrigerator technology before investing since that is likely to be the weak link.
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