Philips BlueSeal: Revolutionizing MRI with Helium-Free Technology

Rethinking Helium Use in MR

Helium is a critical, non-renewable resource whose prices have significantly increased due to scarcity. MRI scanners are major consumers of helium, and this valuable resource can be lost unexpectedly during a system quench. With approximately 50,000 conventional helium-cooled MRI scanners in use globally, their continued reliance on large helium quantities is unsustainable. The healthcare industry has increasingly focused on responsible management of this finite resource.

The central question is how to reduce the need for precious resources while maintaining MRI machine operation and improving patient care, thereby reducing environmental impact.

Addressing Helium Scarcity Through Innovation

Based on a decade of innovation, the Philips BlueSeal magnet is a revolutionary solution designed to overcome issues related to helium-dependent MR operations, while providing clinical excellence.

The Industry's First Wide Bore, High-Performance, Helium-Free 1.5T Scanner

The complete 1.5T portfolio benefits from:

• Leading helium-free MR operations
• Automated patient-centric workflow
• SmartSpeed Precise powered by Dual AI

Since its introduction, the innovative BlueSeal sealed magnet technology has transformed the MRI operating landscape, setting a new industry standard, confirmed by its growing installed base.

Get Ahead with Helium-Free MRI: Boost Performance and Reliability

Lead the way with BlueSeal, the industry's first 70 cm bore, high-performance, helium-free 1.5T scanner with efficient cooling technology. With approximately 2,000 installations worldwide, it is reliable across various clinical settings, including mobile MR, and offers continuous performance with Philips e-Alerts for real-time monitoring and proactive responses. BlueSeal ensures exceptional reliability by eliminating dependence on scarce helium, ensuring you can serve patients now and in the future. BlueSeal never requires helium refill, not even after ramping, quenching, or coldhead service. Designed to meet the highest productivity standards, it features high thermal stability for high throughput, allowing scanning up to 24 hours a day. With best-in-class magnet homogeneity (1.8 ppm / 50 x 50 x 45 cm V-RMS) for excellent image quality, off-center imaging, and fat suppression, combined with an ultra-large (up to 55 cm) field-of-view and a 70cm bore design, BlueSeal enables uncompromised coverage and imaging of large patients. The system does not lose magnetic field or auto-discharge the magnet when power or cooling is lost, thanks to best-in-class ride-through time of ≥ 4 hours. With high gradient strength, exceptional field stability, and AI-powered clinical applications, BlueSeal enables precise and confident performance, even for the most complex scans.

"We won't have any problems of refilling during the machine's lifetime and we can forget about the helium. This will save us money and help us be more environmentally friendly."

Dr. María del Mar Travieso, Head of Radiology Department, Hospitales San Roque, Spain

Get Ahead with Helium-Free MRI: Broaden Access to Care

Despite extreme caution, many imaging facilities experience issues with magnetic items attaching to MRI magnets. Conventional systems require a service engineer to ramp down the magnet or perform a quench, often leaving the machine non-operational for up to 3 days. This downtime, coupled with expensive helium refills, represents a significant waste of resources and time.

The BlueSeal magnet prepares for emergency situations, resolving small incidents and returning to operation in less than 6 hours, enabling uninterrupted, productive MRI operations. AI-driven EasySwitch minimizes unexpected downtime by allowing the magnet to be discharged and recharged behind the MRI console without helium loss. This function resolves small incidents in under 6 hours, preventing revenue loss and disruptions. It also allows for proactive discharge in preparation for natural disasters.

BlueSeal extends high-quality MR care to more patients, even in remote areas with limited healthcare access. Compared to existing Zero Boil-Off (ZBO) systems, BlueSeal is up to half the weight, eliminating the need for a quench pipe and simplifying installation in urban areas, commercial buildings, and sites with construction limitations. The system's flexibility enables continuous operation without helium-related interruptions, ensuring MR service access in challenging environments.

"I have applied the EasySwitch, magnet come out field, I was able to remove the wheelchair, then it was just a waiting game, until the temperature and pressures stabilized. Then, I went ahead and ramped it back up, this customer was completely blown away with the speed of the ramping up the system."

Timothy Harper, Field Service Engineer USA

Get Ahead with Helium-Free MRI: Future-Proof Your MR Department

The BlueSeal is a high-performance, helium-free MRI system designed for potential helium shortages, using only a minimal amount of helium (0.5% of standard amount), sealed during production. This approach reduces operational costs and eliminates helium refills, ensuring uninterrupted MRI services for years. Built with EcoDesign principles, BlueSeal minimizes energy consumption and reduces carbon footprint, supporting financial and environmental goals. With PowerSave+, the system automatically switches to standby mode when not in use, cutting power consumption by up to 45%, translating to annual savings of nearly 40 MWh and up to 10.5k euro in Germany. Eliminating the need for a vent pipe increases siting options and reduces cost. Installation is fast, efficient, and cost-effective, requiring no expensive building modifications or structural reinforcements.

"We wanted to set up the MRI in a basement. This building is surrounded by the city, not having a quench pipe was very important, also very good for the financial risk because we don't have to refill helium."

Hiroyuki SUGAYA, MD, President, Tokyo Sports & Orthopedic Clinic, Tokyo, Japan

Be Confident with Outstanding Clinical Performance

Feel at Ease with Optimized Experiences for Everyone

Experience the Benefits of BlueSeal: Technical Specifications

"I don't think there is a better MR system. In so many ways the flexibility of a Philips system is such that our decision was a no-brainer."

Raja Muthupillai, MD, Texas Medical Center, Houston, Texas

References

1. January 2022 onwards https://www.innovationnewsnetwork.com/helium-shortage-4-0-what-caused-it-and-when-will-it-end/29255/
2. Statista, Distribution of helium consumption worldwide, 2021
3. Marketech June 2017 study (across vendors)
4. via Philips SmartSpeed Precise
5. Helium-free operations. 7 liters of helium is permanently enclosed in the cryogenic circuit
6. Compared with our previous 70cm 1.5T ZBO magnets; based on actual average shim results of many magnets of both types in the Philips installed base
7. Compared with our previous 70cm 1.5T ZBO magnets; based on measured performance of many magnets of both types in the Philips installed base
8. Can vary based on system and site conditions
9. Compared to existing ZBO systems in the industry
10. Applicable to Ambition X, BlueSeal XE. Philips stand-by versus ready-to-scan mode based on COCIR. Results can vary based on system usage and system type. MR 5300, Ambition S, BlueSeal SE is 28%
11. Saving up to 37,440 kW annually vs. Philips MRI without PowerSave+, applicable to BlueSeal XE, Ingenia 1.5T. Results can vary based on system usage and system type. Results are based on typical hospital operating hours, assuming scanning hours: 10, stand-by hours: 12, long break hours: 1, short breaks of max 0.5 hour each, per day. Assuming 5 day per week and 50 working weeks
12. Compared to Philips SENSE imaging
13. Compared to Philips SENSE/ C-SENSE imaging.
14. Seamless indicates the workflow is an automatically enabled post-processing step in MR-console. Validation of the AI applications is done by the 3rd party and not by Philips
15. Workflow refers to steps after completion of data-acquisition to AI processing. No additional user-interaction is required to send data to the External application cloud and to receive reports in PACS.
16. < 1 min patient set up for routine exams, based on in-house testing. Results may vary.
17. Not available to patients with MR Conditional Implants.
18. Compared to cartesian imaging.
19. Philips MR scanners without Ambient Experience and Inbore Connect. Results from case studies are not predictive of results in other cases. Results in other cases may vary.
20. Based on one volunteer study performed at Psychiatric Hospital Zurich using ComfortPlus mattress. Results from case studies are not predictive of results in other cases. Results in other cases may vary.
21. Compared to industry 1.5T whole bore MRI magnets with sealed helium or no helium at all (dry).
22. Reconstruction technology consisting of a first AI engine applied at the source of signal (Adaptive CS-NET) and a second AI engine applied on the raw complex imaging data (Precise Image Net).