Philips, a renowned global entity in the realm of health technology, has revealed its latest 1.5T BlueSeal MR wide-bore scanner, set to make its debut at the RSNA 2024 conference. The cutting-edge scanner features a 70 cm wide-bore and comes equipped with AI-enhanced MR Smart Workflow solutions designed to enhance accessibility and boost diagnostic confidence, thus improving patient outcomes. These Smart Workflow solutions are crafted to increase the number of patients processed daily without sacrificing diagnostic integrity, catering especially to the demands of high-traffic healthcare settings.
Central to this innovation is Philips’ trailblazing Smart Reading technology—an AI-driven cloud platform that merges imaging with reading on the MR scanner. Collaborating with icometrix (Leuven, Belgium) for neurological diagnoses, such as Alzheimer’s and multiple sclerosis, and Quibim (Valencia, Spain), a specialist in prostate cancer imaging biomarkers, Smart Reading elevates precision diagnosis by generating fully automated AI-informed reports.
Setting Philips apart in the industry is the environmentally conscious design of the BlueSeal MRI, recognized for its helium-free operations, positioning itself as the lightest 1.5T 70cm MRI system available today. Weighing up to 1700kg lighter, it operates without a vent pipe, allowing for more flexible installation in locations previously restricted due to structural constraints, such as elevated floors or enclosed spaces where helium logistics pose challenges.
“Philips pioneered helium-free MRI operations,” remarked Ioannis Panagiotelis, PhD, Global Business Leader MRI at Philips. “Since our launch in 2018, we have globally installed over 1,500 systems in diverse environments, including the first helium-free mobile MRI units. By integrating AI applications into our latest 1.5T BlueSeal scanner, we have utilized AI across the entire MRI workflow—from patient setup to high-resolution image capture, data extraction, advanced diagnostics, and reporting. Through this innovation, we reinforce our dedication to making quality MRI accessible to more patients in various settings.”
Apart from broad acceptance, the Philips BlueSeal technology is appreciated by users worldwide, like MRT Praxis Potsdam in Germany, seeing a substantial patient throughput rise from 32-35 to 40 patients daily with a SmartSpeed-equipped BlueSeal MRI.
In rapidly evolving fields such as neurology, oncology, and cardiology—where MRI is an indispensable tool—enhancing patient outcomes means acquiring more diagnostic data without extending scan time or increasing complexity. Seamlessly blending into Philips’ new wide-bore BlueSeal MR system, the Smart Workflow tools utilize AI to streamline every aspect of the MRI process, from scheduling to patient setup. These AI-rich workflow solutions provide fast, reliable, and accurate imaging to maximize efficiency and improve diagnostic certainty.
Core components include SmartExam, which automates MRI exam planning, scanning, and processing for up to 80% of cases, ensuring consistent imaging results; SmartFit coils offer flexibility with their lightweight design, bending over 90 degrees for improved patient comfort; SmartSpeed increases image resolution by up to 65% without added scan time or provides threefold faster scans, compatible with 97% of clinical protocols; SmartQuant provides quick, high-quality quantitative MR images across various anatomies, offering comprehensive diagnostic data in brief scan times; and SmartReading offers a unique blend of imaging and reading capabilities, allowing for fully automated quantitative AI-based report generation.
Starting with only 7 liters of helium, the BlueSeal needs no refills, even in emergencies, having conserved nearly 2.75 million liters thus far. Despite the reduced helium content, the scanner offers high thermal capacity to maintain the magnet’s function for over four hours during power outages—vital in many global locations. Philips BlueSeal MRI systems are also engineered to minimize energy usage, contributing to a facility’s green objectives while saving nearly 40mWh of power annually.
The latest Philips BlueSeal 1.5T will be exhibited at the Philips booth (#6730) during the Radiological Society of North America Annual Meeting (RSNA 2024, December 1-4, Chicago, USA).