Abstract: An electrical connection between first and second members of superconductive material, such as niobium, is made by coating each member with an indium-lead-tin alloy solder. Each member is coated by initially applying a layer of either an indium-lead alloy or indium to a surface of the member. Then the surface is mechanically worked to break up any oxide coating that is underneath the applied layer. Next a lead-tin alloy or tin is alloyed with the applied layer to form a resultant surface layer of a indium-lead-tin alloy. The first and second members are placed in contact with each other and their respective surface layers of the indium-lead-tin alloy are melted to produce a bond therebetween. A bond form by this method also is described.

Abstract: Medical patients are screened prior to magnetic resonance imaging by using a superconducting quantum interference device magnetometer to detect the unknown presence of an implanted ferromagnetic object. The patient is placed on a table which vibrates at approximately five Hertz. The magnetometer is sequentially held stationary at a plurality of positions adjacent to the patient being vibrated. The magnetic field intensity is measured at each position with the magnetometer and the magnetic field measurements are used to determine the presence and location of a ferromagnetic object within the patient.