Royal Philips, a global leader in health technology, has showcased the first mobile virtually helium-free MRI system, marking a significant step as innovator to improving patient access to diagnostic technology whilst caring for the environment.
The Philips system, housed in a mobile truck provided by Lamboo Medical, showcased in the UK for the first time (the combination of Philips’ BlueSeal technology within a mobile truck is awaiting CE marking in the UK), comprises a Philips MR 5300 scanner equipped with a revolutionary Philips BlueSeal magnet, the global industry’s first 1.5T fully sealed magnet, which requires only 0.5% of the helium of a conventional Philips MR system. This significantly reduces consumption of helium, which globally is in scarce supply. More than 1.9 million litres of helium have been saved by MR systems equipped with Philips’ BlueSeal magnet technology since 2018.
Equipping a mobile truck with an MR 5300 scanner and BlueSeal magnet offers healthcare providers the potential to achieve greater efficiencies when undertaking patient scans by making them more easily available for patients in the community rather than at hospital sites, improving clinical workflow and reducing health costs in the face of staff shortages.
Mark Leftwich, Managing Director at Philips UK and Ireland, said: “Sustainable healthcare means the world to us, and Philips are proud to be continuing to lead in sustainable healthcare with the unveiling in the UK our mobile BlueSeal magnet technology. In the UK, the health service contributes around 4-5% of total UK carbon emissions and in Ireland an estimated 4.4% of national greenhouse gas emissions.
“Our virtually helium-free technology supports our health workforce to care for their patients, bringing diagnostic capabilities closer to home whilst reducing hospitals’ dependency on natural resources and energy consumption.”
