Philips celebrates 1.9m liters of helium saved as it marks 1,111 helium-free MRI operations installs, expanding care to more patients in more locations
30 Mai 2024 - 3:00PM
Philips celebrates 1.9m liters of helium saved as it marks 1,111
helium-free MRI operations installs, expanding care to more
patients in more locations
May 30, 2024
First to provide helium-free operations in 2018, Philips marks
milestone during installation in Puerto Rico
Amsterdam, the Netherlands and Bayamón, Puerto
Rico – Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX:
PHIA), a global leader in health technology, and world leader in
proven helium-free [1] MRI operations, today announced the 1,111th
installation of its revolutionary BlueSeal 1.5T magnet, which took
place in Puerto Rico’s Vida Imaging & Breast Center (Bayamón,
Puerto Rico). Beyond its economic and sustainability benefits [2],
helium-free MRI operations also increase resilience in the face of
the tropical storms that hit Puerto Rico every year delivering
quality care to patients who may otherwise not have access to
advanced MRI scanning.
“The installation of our Philips MR 5300 scanner, with a 70cm
bore and equipped with the 1,111th BlueSeal magnet at Vida
Imaging & Breast Center in Puerto Rico is a testament to the
global adoption of our innovative technology. Since 2018, Philips
has been the first to provide helium-free MR operations worldwide,
improving access to better care for more patients, and we will
continue to drive innovation in this space,” said Ruud Zwerink,
Business Leader of MR at Philips. “BlueSeal magnet technology has
proven to be the system of choice for improved diagnostic
capabilities, while providing an answer to growing concerns about
helium supply chain disruptions, saving approximately 1.9 million
liters of liquid helium to date.”
A BlueSeal magnet’s ability to be shut down and re-energized in
a controlled way, without the loss of its liquid helium coolant,
means it can be up and running precisely when it is needed to treat
patients. The Vida Imaging & Breast Center, which provides a
wide range of medical imaging services, is a vital community asset
that helps patients on the remote island of Puerto Rico receive
high-quality healthcare.
“Puerto Rico has tropical storms every year. Philips BlueSeal
magnet technology allows us to de-energize our MRI system to
prepare the MRI department for this situation and restore
operations quickly once it is safe, all from the MRI console,” said
Dr. Mayra Maldonado, Owner/CEO at the Vida Imaging & Breast
Center.
In the aftermath of a hurricane or other natural disaster,
transport systems are disrupted, and obtaining helium, especially
when transporting to remote locations, could take weeks. A
conventional MRI scanner requires up to 1700 liters of liquid
helium, much of which can be lost if the magnet has to be
periodically shut down. A Philips BlueSeal magnet only requires a
pre-load of 7 liters during manufacturing and loses none of it,
even during a so-called magnet quench – a sudden loss of
superconductivity in the magnet coil which rapidly boils the liquid
helium. Philips’ AI-enabled [3] EasySwitch technology always
ensures orderly shutdown and re-energizing of the magnet once the
danger has passed.
With a magnet that is 900kg lighter than a traditional system
[4], Philips MR systems equipped with BlueSeal magnets can also be
installed in places that were previously unthinkable like elevated
floors or indoor sites with construction limitations. This
technology is even available in mobile units [5] that have the
potential to expand quality access to MRI exams for patients in a
more sustainable [2] way.
[1] Systems contain 7 liters of helium, fully sealed, no helium
can leave the system.[2] Compared to the Ingenia 1.5T ZBO
magnet.[3] According to the definition of the EU High-Level Expert
Group on Artificial Intelligence.[4] Compared to Philips earlier
(non-BlueSeal) Ingenia 1.5T ZBO magnet.[5] BlueSeal MR mobile unit
1.5T is considered a work in progress. It is not CE marked and not
available for sale outside of the U.S.
For further information, please contact:Kathy
O’ReillyPhilips Global External RelationsTel.: +1 978 221
8919E-mail: kathy.oreilly@philips.com
About Royal Philips
Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a leading health
technology company focused on improving people's health and
well-being through meaningful innovation. Philips’ patient- and
people-centric innovation leverages advanced technology and deep
clinical and consumer insights to deliver personal health solutions
for consumers and professional health solutions for healthcare
providers and their patients in the hospital and the home.
Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company is a leader in
diagnostic imaging, ultrasound, image-guided therapy, monitoring
and enterprise informatics, as well as in personal health. Philips
generated 2023 sales of EUR 18.2 billion and employs approximately
69,100 employees with sales and services in more than 100
countries. News about Philips can be found
at www.philips.com/newscenter.
- Philips MR 5300 BlueSeal installation at Vida Imaging &
Breast Center, Bayamon, Puerto Rico
- Exterior picture of Vida Imaging & Breast Center, Bayamon,
Puerto Rico
- A clinician using a Philips MR 5300
Koninklijke Philips NV (EU:PHIA)
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