GE Global Research has been awarded a four-year, $3.27 million award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for new magnet technology that will cut back on the costs and inconveniences of current MRI systems. The new technology is expected to result in better availability of MRI systems in underdeveloped nations.
Current MRI systems require cryogenic cooling systems that make the systems expensive and hard to site. Development of a cryogen-free magnet would remedy some of these problems, especially if the magnet was smaller in size and would require less wire to support an MRI scanner.
“The whole idea is to create a more highly mobile, less costly MRI system platform that delivers the same high resolution and quality of imaging for patients,” said Kathleen Amm, Lab Manager, Electromagnetics and Superconductivity.
The program will focus on developing technologies that will address cost and siting difficulties while still maintaining high image quality.
[Source: Biotech Week]
