Philips’s BlueSeal helium-free MR operations magnet has been named the ‘Best New Technology Solution for Radiology’ in the 7th annual MedTech Breakthrough Awards programme. The breakthrough design of Philips’ BlueSeal Magnet addresses the urgent need to reduce the consumption of helium, a finite resource. It is the industry’s first and only 1.5T fully sealed magnet that only requires 0.5% of the helium normally needed over the operational lifetime of industry-standard MR system magnets.
The BlueSeal Magnet was first introduced as part of the Philips MR – Ingenia Ambition and is now extended with the latest MR 5300 scanner which offers helium-free MR operations with no compromise on diagnostic confidence.
BlueSeal is one of a range of Philips leading health technologies and innovations designed to reduce hospitals’ dependency on natural resources and energy consumption and help meet their sustainability goals.
“Philips’ breakthrough development of its BlueSeal Magnet places it at the forefront of helium-free medical operations, supporting the transition to sustainable, helium-free-for-life operations, as well as simplifying installation and reducing costly disruptions to MR services. Congratulations on this innovation and being our pick for ‘Best New Technology Solution for Radiology,” said James Johnson, managing director, MedTech Breakthrough.
The MedTech Breakthrough Awards programme honours excellence and recognizes innovation, hard work, and success in a range of health and medical technology categories.
Compared to around 1,500 litres required for a conventional MR magnet, an MR scanner using Philips’ BlueSeal Magnet is pre-loaded with a mere 7 litres of helium during manufacture, and remains essentially helium- free in operations for its life cycle. It reduces operating costs for hospitals, simplifies installation due to its reduced weight, and increases patient and staff safety by eliminating helium venting, even during a magnet quench.
“We see ourselves as a developer of resilient, energy-efficient, sustainable healthcare products and solutions. Our BlueSeal Magnet not only has the potential to steeply reduce the consumption of helium in the medical industry, but also ensures that on-site operators don’t need to worry about helium-related complications and unpredictability,” said Ruud Zwerink, General Manager MR at Philips.
Philips’ BlueSeal Magnet comes with the unique ability to rapidly return to normal operation after an interruption, such as a magnetic object becoming stuck in the bore. It is supported by an artificial intelligence algorithm in its control electronics that enables single-click discharge and re-energization of the magnet from behind the MR console. This EasySwitch feature is one of several examples of how Philips is using AI to speed radiology workflows.
