New MRI Technology Addresses The Increasing Scarcity of Helium Gas

The increasing scarcity of helium gas used in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanners, has spurred a medical imaging vendor to continue to develop helium-free MRI systems. MR Solutions (Guildford, Surrey, UK) developed the first helium-free MRI system already in 2013, for use in preclinical superconducting MRI systems. The company pioneered the helium-free cooling system, which does not use a liquid helium cooling jacket, and is currently developing a 7-T helium free scanner. The new system will benefit medical MRI research, which is at risk from the global shortage of helium. MR Solutions developed the first helium gas-free MRI system already in 2013, for use in preclinical superconducting MRI systems. Dr. David Taylor, physicist and CEO of MR Solutions, said, “Following a number of years of research and development with our magnet partner, we have been able to dispense with the usual liquid helium cooling system by using a revolutionary magnet design incorporating superconducting wire. This enables the use of a standard low temperature fridge to cool the magnet to the required 4 K. This has resulted in a scanner with improved performance, less costly to buy, lower running costs and no need for the building modification works which were required for the old bulky MRI systems.”

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