Philips launches Ingenia Ambition X 1.5T MR with industry-first fully sealed magnet for more productive, helium-free operations

• Ingenia Ambition X combines fully sealed BlueSeal magnet technology and workflow innovations for a step-change in productivity
• This launch represents the continuous improvement to the Philips digital MR portfolio of systems, healthcare informatics and services to enable improved outcomes, lowered cost of care delivery and enhanced patient and staff experience

Amsterdam, the Netherlands – Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA), a global leader in health technology, today launched the Ingenia Ambition X 1.5T MR. This exciting new innovation is the latest advance in the Ingenia MRI portfolio, which comprises fully-digital MRI systems, healthcare informatics and a range of maintenance and life cycle services for integrated solutions that empower a faster, smarter, and simpler path to enabling a confident diagnosis. The first commercial installation of the Ingenia Ambition X was recently completed at Spital Uster Hospital, a major provider of extended primary healthcare in the canton of Zurich, Switzerland. The Ingenia Ambition X is CE marked and has received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

In radiology, meeting the need for high productivity and an improved patient experience while ensuring excellence in imaging can be daunting. The perception is often that MR represents a trade-off between productivity and image quality. The Ingenia Ambition X provides leading-edge MR imaging capabilities while helping to increase overall productivity, combining its revolutionary BlueSeal magnet with innovations that can help reduce downtime, enable single operator workflow and speed up exam times by up to 50% [1].

“MRI provides exceptional diagnostic and therapy guidance capabilities, but it also places substantial operational demands on the hospital or imaging center due to requirements for installation, footprint and service,” said Arjen Radder, Global Business Leader for MR at Philips. “BlueSeal is breakthrough MRI technology and we’re proud to be first to market. The fully-sealed magnet dramatically reduces the amount of liquid helium needed to cool the magnet to less than half a percent of the current norm [2]. This results in significant operational benefits for our customers, including a smaller, lighter and more flexible installation footprint and a more efficient return to normal operations if an interruption in service should ever occur.”

Incorporating Philips’ breakthrough BlueSeal fully-sealed magnet, the Ingenia Ambition X is the world’s first MR system to enable helium-free operations [3], reducing the chance of potentially lengthy and costly disruptions, and virtually eliminating dependency on a commodity with an unpredictable supply. The fully-sealed system does not require a vent pipe and is around 900kg lighter than its predecessor [2], significantly reducing the siting challenges presented by conventional magnets and lowering construction costs.