Siemens Healthineers is presenting Magnetom Flow (1), its first 1.5 tesla (T) platform for magnetic resonance imaging with a closed helium circuit and no quench pipe, in Vienna. The amount of liquid helium required for cooling has been reduced to 0.7 liters from as much as 1,500 liters thanks to the Dry Cool technology, bringing down costs and saving resources.
The quench pipe was previously needed to safely allow cold helium to escape from the building directly into the atmosphere in the event of an emergency shutdown. The new system with a bore size of 60 cm covers the entire range of applications for MRI. Comprehensive use of image reconstruction based on artificial intelligence enables shorter measurement times with improved image quality. Magnetom Flow’s high degree of automation simplifies the complex MRI workflow to ensure the highest quality independently of user experience and increases efficiency.
Magnetom Flow is the second virtually helium-free (2) MRI platform from Siemens Healthineers with Dry Cool technology. The company has set itself the goal of making an important contribution to greater sustainability in the healthcare sector in the coming years with this and other technologies.
“The world’s population is growing and with it the need for MRI exams. However, the simultaneous rise in cost pressure and lack of personnel make it difficult to operate MRI economically”, said Andreas Schneck, head of Magnetic Resonance at Siemens Healthineers. “The Magnetom Flow platform provides the answer to the challenges facing healthcare systems. It increases productivity in routine clinical practice due to its high degree of automation and makes a decisive contribution to sustainability with the Dry Cool technology.”
As well as using significantly fewer natural resources such as helium, Magnetom Flow considerably reduces energy consumption. With the help of the improved Eco Gradient Mode, the system automatically switches off energy-intensive components when they are not needed. And thanks to the introduction of Eco Power Mode in combination with helium-free technology, it is possible to save a further 30 percent in cooling capacity overnight. This makes Magnetom Flow one of the most sustainable MRI platforms from Siemens Healthineers.
Compared to many other 1.5T scanners, Magnetom Flow reduces installation requirements and costs thanks to its compact size of less than 2 meters in height, 24 square meters in footprint and the lack of a quench pipe. Conventional systems are so large and heavy that it is often only possible to install them in existing buildings with considerable and costly structural alterations.
In clinical practice, Magnetom Flow can significantly reduce patient slot times and improve the patient experience thanks to its intuitive and highly automated design. The entire operation can now be carried out next to the patient – from registration to positioning to starting the examination. This saves time and can give patients peace of mind. In addition, the coils, which flexibly adapt to the body like a blanket, feature novel sensors to enable automatic position detection in the exam room.
“Operating MRI systems can be a challenge even for experienced personnel. Magnetom Flow simplifies the entire workflow for our team and enables efficient operation with only a short training time”, said Dr. Markus Kopp, senior physician for radiology at Germany’s Uniklinikum Erlangen. “Moreover, our patients and staff benefit from faster scanning times and excellent image quality.”
To keep examination times short and improve image quality, the system is equipped with extensive AI-supported image reconstruction. This is available for more examinations than before with Magnetom Flow. Measurement times can be reduced by up to 50 percent, while image quality is doubled. In combination with simplified workflows, overall patient throughput can be increased significantly.
(1) The Magnetom Flow platform is still under development and not commercially available. Its future availability cannot be ensured.
(2) Magnetom Flow is equipped with Dry Cool technology, which requires only 0.7 liters of liquid helium for magnet cooling over the lifetime of the device.
Siemens Healthineers pioneers breakthroughs in healthcare. For everyone. Everywhere. Sustainably. The company is a global provider of healthcare equipment, solutions and services, with activities in more than 180 countries and direct representation in more than 70. The group comprises Siemens Healthineers AG, listed as SHL in Frankfurt, Germany, and its subsidiaries. As a leading medical technology company, Siemens Healthineers is committed to improving access to healthcare for underserved communities worldwide and is striving to overcome the most threatening diseases. The company is principally active in the areas of imaging, diagnostics, cancer care and minimally invasive therapies, augmented by digital technology and artificial intelligence. In fiscal 2023, which ended on September 30, 2023, Siemens Healthineers had approximately 71,000 employees worldwide and generated revenue of around €21.7 billion. Further information is available at www.siemens-healthineers.com.
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*This is a Press release.
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