Philips mobilises sustainable BlueSeal Technology with debut of UK’s first virtually helium-free MRI at UK Imaging and Oncology congress 2024

The Philips system, housed in a mobile truck [i] 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 [ii].

Currently there are almost 100 NHS and healthcare provider sites in the UK with a Philips BlueSeal 1.5T magnet, out of more than 1,100 sites worldwide. Introduced in 2018, Philips’ BlueSeal technology is expanding the reach globally of MRI to places where it was previously too difficult to install and maintain, including remote and isolated locations.

Its magnet is 900kg lighter than a traditional system [iii] and doesn’t require a quench pipe – needed for traditional MR systems to safely expel large volumes of helium out of a building quickly in case of an emergency.