Philips, a global leader in medical technology, has once again demonstrated its innovative prowess at the Radiological Society of North America’s (RSNA) 2024 annual meeting in Chicago. This prestigious event, which attracts clinicians and tech professionals from around the world, served as the perfect platform for Philips to showcase its latest advancements in diagnostic imaging. The company highlighted three key innovations: a strengthened partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS), the introduction of the BlueSeal MRI machine, and the unveiling of the CT 5300 system.
Strengthening Partnership with AWS
Evolution of the Philips-AWS Collaboration
Philips’ collaboration with AWS began about seven years ago, and it has since grown into a pivotal partnership. Shez Partovi, Philips’ Chief Innovation and Strategy Officer, emphasized the importance of this relationship in developing generative AI tools for HealthSuite, Philips’ imaging archiving and communication system. This partnership aims to transition Philips’ integrated diagnostics portfolio to the cloud, driven by customer demand for more efficient storage solutions. The collaboration has evolved to move Philips’ diagnostic imaging, including radiology, pathology, and cardiology, into the cloud to address the burgeoning need for substantial storage space.
Radiological images require substantial storage, and management of this on-site can be cumbersome for IT departments. By migrating diagnostics to the cloud, Philips and AWS promise unified diagnostic workflows and improved clinical outcomes for practitioners and patients alike. The integration of AI into these imaging systems requires high-performance computing capabilities, often utilizing graphic processing units (GPUs). On-premise installation of these tools can be burdensome and expensive, making housing GPUs locally a challenge for data centers. Integrating AI software into the cloud allows Philips and AWS to harness the immense computing power available in the cloud, enabling the implementation of the advanced AI tools needed for sophisticated imaging and diagnostic processes.
Introducing the BlueSeal MRI Machine
Helium-Efficient Design
One of the standout innovations introduced by Philips at RSNA 2024 is the BlueSeal MRI machine, specifically its new 1.5T MRI system. This system deviates from traditional MRI machines by using significantly less helium, a crucial feature that has the potential to expand patient access to MRI scans. Traditional MRI magnets require approximately 400 gallons of liquid helium to cool the magnet’s coils and maintain superconductivity. This demand for helium makes these machines bulky and typically confined to hospital basements or first floors. In stark contrast, the BlueSeal MRI system incorporates a fully sealed, helium-efficient design that reduces helium usage to just 1.8 gallons, eliminating the need for continuous helium refills and driving efficiency.
The BlueSeal MRI machine’s reduced helium usage not only minimizes the MRI machine’s weight by approximately 2,000 pounds, but it also allows for installation on higher floors within hospitals, and potentially in mobile units. Furthermore, the BlueSeal MRI machine eliminates the need for a quench pipe—a safety feature in traditional MRI systems designed to vent helium gas outside the building. By removing this requirement, the BlueSeal MRI system is more versatile and easier to integrate into various healthcare settings. It boasts Philips’ AI-driven cloud-based image reading technology, developed in collaboration with digital diagnostics firm icometrix and imaging biomarker specialist Quibim, which integrates imaging and reading on the scanner itself, aiding in early detection of diseases like Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis, and prostate cancer.
Unveiling the CT 5300 System
AI-Enhanced Clinician Workflows
Philips, a global frontrunner in the medical technology sector, once more showcased its innovative capabilities at the Radiological Society of North America’s (RSNA) 2024 annual meeting in Chicago. Renowned for attracting healthcare professionals and technologists from across the globe, the RSNA annual meeting provided the ideal stage for Philips to reveal its latest advancements in diagnostic imaging technology. At this prestigious event, Philips emphasized three significant innovations: a more robust partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS), the debut of the BlueSeal MRI machine, and the introduction of the CT 5300 system. Each of these advancements underscores Philips’ commitment to enhancing patient care and clinician efficiency through cutting-edge technology. Their collaboration with AWS aims to bolster data handling and storage capabilities, while the BlueSeal MRI features a fully sealed magnet system which eliminates helium dependence. Meanwhile, the CT 5300 system offers improved imaging speed and accuracy, solidifying Philips’ position as a leader in medical imaging.
