According to a Feb. 28 press release, Royal Philips announced the expansion of access to virtually helium-free MRI to more patients in more places, with more than 1,000 systems now installed worldwide.
The press release says that Philips BlueSeal magnet is a1.5T fully sealed magnet and requires only 0.5% of the helium of a conventional Philips MR system.
The company says the installation requirements are less than a conventional system. The company also notes the recent reports on helium scarcity.
The press release states that “Philips BlueSeal technology is expanding the reach of MRI to places where it was previously too difficult to install and maintain, including remote and isolated locations, and those prone to tropical storms, earthquakes, and other geographical obstacles. With a magnet that’s 900kg lighter than a traditional system and doesn’t require a quench pipe – required for traditional MR systems to safely expel their large volume of helium out of a building quickly in case of an emergency – Philips MR systems equipped with BlueSeal magnets can be installed in places that were previously unthinkable.”
Philips has the full press release.
