Philips’ BlueSeal helium-free MR operations magnet has gained the 2023 ‘Greatest New Know-how Answer for Radiology’ award within the seventh annual MedTech Breakthrough Awards program.
Philips’ BlueSeal Magnet is a 1.5T totally sealed magnet that solely requires 0.5% of the helium usually wanted over the operational lifetime of industry-standard MR system magnets. This breakthrough design addresses the pressing want to scale back the consumption of helium, a finite useful resource. It was first revealed to the world as a part of the Philips MR – Ingenia Ambition and is now prolonged with the newest MR 5300 scanner which presents helium free MR operations with no compromise on diagnostic confidence and an improved patient- and employees expertise. BlueSeal is one among Philips well being applied sciences and improvements designed to scale back hospitals’ dependency on pure sources and vitality consumption and assist meet their sustainability objectives.
The mission of the MedTech Breakthrough Awards is to honour excellence and recognise the innovation, laborious work, and success in a variety of well being and medical expertise classes. This 12 months’s program attracted greater than 4,000 nominations from over 17 completely different international locations all through the world.
James Johnson, managing director, MedTech Breakthrough, stated: “Philips’ breakthrough improvement of its BlueSeal Magnet locations it on the forefront of helium-free medical operations, supporting the transition to sustainable, helium-free-for-life operations, in addition to simplifying set up and decreasing pricey disruptions to MR providers. Congratulations on this innovation and being our choose for ‘Greatest New Know-how Answer for Radiology’.”
Pre-loaded with 7 litres of helium throughout manufacture, in comparison with round 1,500 litres required for a traditional MR magnet, an MR scanner utilizing Philips’ BlueSeal Magnet stays basically helium-free in operations for its life cycle. For hospitals, it not solely reduces working prices. Its decreased weight (round a metric ton lighter than a traditional magnet) simplifies set up, and the elimination of helium venting, even throughout a magnet quench, will increase affected person and employees security.
Ruud Zwerink, normal supervisor MR at Philips, stated: “We see ourselves as a developer of resilient, energy-efficient, sustainable healthcare merchandise and options. Our BlueSeal Magnet not solely has the potential to steeply cut back the consumption of helium within the medical {industry}, but additionally ensures that on-site operators don’t want to fret about helium-related problems and unpredictability.”
Philips’ BlueSeal Magnet can quickly return to regular operation after an interruption, resembling a magnetic object turning into caught within the bore. It’s supported by a man-made intelligence (AI) algorithm in its management electronics that permits single-click discharge and re-energization of the magnet from behind the MR console.
Philips MR SmartSpeed imaging expertise, which boosts pace and picture high quality and is enabling the MR scanner to make use of as much as 53% much less energy per affected person scan. Philips MR AI Protocol Assistant, Philips VitalEye, Philips SmartExam and Philips MRCAT Mind and Head and Neck software program are different examples of AI-driven improvements to additional speed up Radiology workflows and allow MR solely simulations.
