Philips Healthcare parent Royal Philips has developed a helium-free MRI magnet it is calling BlueSeal.
The magnet eliminates workflow interruptions that typical cooling technology can cause, the company said. Conventional magnet technology requires around 1,500 liters of liquid helium for cooling during use. BlueSeal uses a cooling technology that seals the helium into the magnet during manufacturing, which reduces the liquid required for cooling to seven liters, Philips said. Because the helium is inside the magnet, it doesn't need a vent pipe. It is also lighter than conventional magnets, according to the firm.
The company introduced BlueSeal, and highlighted two relatively new MRI systems, 3-tesla Ingenia Elition and 1.5-tesla Ingenia Prodiva, at the recent joint congress of the International Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine and European Society of MR in Medicine and Biology in Paris.
