Michael Lehman, Imaging Director at Northwest Specialty Hospital in Post Falls, says so far the global helium shortage hasn’t been a problem for MRI machines, which need a relatively small amount. (Courtesy Photo)
June 22, 2019
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June 22, 2019 1 a.m.
Helium shortage hits home
Say helium, and the first thing people think of is the gas in balloons that makes you sound like a chipmunk. But helium is used in a wide variety of applications, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners, cryogenics, welding, deep-sea diving, and medical research—not to mention inflating the Goodyear Blimp.