[Intl_DxMedPhys] [EXTERNAL] Re: Helium free MRI

[High, Maynard]

Philips has similar low helium sealed systems for both 1.5 and 3T. We have 2 of the 1.5T and image quality and performance and Bo uniformity all the same as for standard supercon’s.
They ramp up and down in similar fashion as described by Andrew for Siemens and GE.
Advantages:

·         No He refills or topping off needed (lowered operational costs)

·         No quench pipe vent to the roof needed (lowered install costs)

·         Possible to ramp down and restart if an IV pole gets stuck to the magnet (I’m not saying I have seen this happen!!!)
Trade-Offs:

·         Extremely small reservoir of He means the magnet cannot remain superconducting if cold head pump loses power (like during a power outage)

·         On our magnets, the cold heads are more powerful than usual which means more vibration induced in couch, which in turn results in serious ghosting of T2 images of ACR phantom. Philips recommends turning off the cold head for ACR Phantom imaging. They also claim the couch vibration does not affect clinical imaging because humans are more squishy than phantoms and do not vibrate so much.  Seems to be true.


Maynard High
Westchester Medical Center / NYMC
maynard.high at wmchealth.org<mailto:maynard.high at wmchealth.org>
914-493-1410



From: Intl_dxmedphys_wd_osu_list <intl_dxmedphys_wd_osu_list-bounces at lists.osu.edu> On Behalf Of Andrew Sampson via Intl_dxmedphys_wd_osu_list
Sent: Thursday, December 4, 2025 9:15 AM
To: Lei Qin <leiqin at gmail.com>
Cc: intl_dxmedphys_wd_osu_list at lists.osu.edu
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Re: [Intl_DxMedPhys] Helium free MRI

Just like so many things, I this is all marketing language. Siemens and now GE now have what they call "Helium Free" MRI's that are now helium free. Siemens' has about 0. 7 liters, and I understand GE has a couple liters. Both
Just like so many things, I this is all marketing language. Siemens and now GE now have what they call "Helium Free" MRI's that are now helium free. Siemens' has about 0.7 liters, and I understand GE has a couple liters. Both systems are closed systems, meaning they never will loose any Helium. They are designed to perform a controlled ramp down (Siemens about an hour of time, Siemens about 4 hours) is they loose power (Siemens after about 1 hour, and GE about 6 hours). All the expanded helium is stored within the system. When the power is restored, they will ramp themselves backup and prepared themselves for imaging (Siemens takes about 4 hours, and GE takes about 8 hours).

Siemens has a 0.55T magnet already selling in the states, with a 1.5T 510(k) pending. GE only has a 1.5T that I think is still CE (European certification) with expected 510(k) pending soon. Both 1.5T's we're released this RSNA.

So while the Helium requirement is substantially less without loss to performance (Siemens' system is an Altea system with the "Helium free" magnet), they are still superconducting, and require Helium.

Just marketing... GE even calls theirs "Freelium"... Lol

Andrew

On Thu, Dec 4, 2025, 7:44 AM Bob Kobistek via Intl_dxmedphys_wd_osu_list <intl_dxmedphys_wd_osu_list at lists.osu.edu<mailto:intl_dxmedphys_wd_osu_list at lists.osu.edu>> wrote:
Not the answer to your question, but I remember that Toshiba once had an open MRI scanner called the Opart, which had helium-free superconducting magnets. The big downside was that if the cold head went down, the magnet would quench in minutes. 
Not the answer to your question, but I remember that Toshiba once had an open MRI scanner called the Opart, which had helium-free superconducting magnets. The big downside was that if the cold head went down, the magnet would quench in minutes.


Robert J. Kobistek, MS, FACR, DABR, MRSE(MRSC™)
Medical Physicist
RJK Medical Physics, Inc.
440-463-7879

From: Intl_dxmedphys_wd_osu_list <intl_dxmedphys_wd_osu_list-bounces at lists.osu.edu<mailto:intl_dxmedphys_wd_osu_list-bounces at lists.osu.edu>> On Behalf Of Lei Qin via Intl_dxmedphys_wd_osu_list
Sent: Wednesday, December 3, 2025 11:57 AM
To: intl_dxmedphys_wd_osu_list at lists.osu.edu<mailto:intl_dxmedphys_wd_osu_list at lists.osu.edu>
Subject: [Intl_DxMedPhys] Helium free MRI

Hi all, I heard there is an expectation to major shift to helium free MRIs after 2026. I do not know much about the price/performance values and clinical practice of helium free MRIs, especially in comparison to helium cooled MRIs. Anybody can
Hi all,

I heard there is an expectation to major shift to helium free MRIs after 2026.

I do not know much about the price/performance values and clinical practice of helium free MRIs, especially in comparison to helium cooled MRIs.

Anybody can share some sources for this information?

Thank you,
Lei



Lei Qin, PhD DABR,

Director of Medical Physics, Department of Imaging, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Assistant Professor, Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School

Tel: 617-632-6943

Email: Lei_Qin at dfci.harvard.edu<mailto:Lei_Qin at dfci.harvard.edu>


!
External Email Security Notice

WMCHealth Security Alert ELEVATED THREAT LEVEL

Caution: Do not click on links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender. Never provide your User ID or Password.

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://lists.osu.edu/mailman/private/intl_dxmedphys_wd_osu_list/attachments/20251204/a9ca8c1a/attachment.html>