Philips achieves 1,111 helium-free operations installs

Philips BlueSeal magnet is the first 1.5T fully sealed magnet and requires only 0.5% of the helium of a conventional Philips MR system. Recently the company celebrated ~2 million liters of helium saved as it marked 1,111 helium-free MRI operations installs, expanding care to more patients in more locations.

What’s up with Helium? Helium plays a key role in enabling MRI scanners to make unique images of our body that help physicians make a good diagnosis or treatment strategy. In fact, the healthcare industry uses ~20% of all the helium on Earth. Helium prices have increased in the recent years due to its scarcity and today, helium is harder than ever to acquire and transport. Dr. Atul Gupta, Chief Medical Officer for Diagnosis & Treatment at Philips explains how the company, through its ground-breaking BlueSeal technology, has saved our planet almost 2 million liters of liquid helium since 2018. All while keeping the same magnetic strength with the exquisite image quality of a traditional MRI.