Philips Blueseal helium-free MR magnet wins best new tech award

Philips’s BlueSeal helium-free MR operations magnet has been named the ‘Best New Technology Solution for Radiology’ in the 7th annual MedTech Breakthrough Awards programme. The breakthrough design of Philips’ BlueSeal Magnet addresses the urgent need to reduce the consumption of helium, a finite resource. It is the industry’s first and only 1.5T fully sealed magnet that only requires 0.5% of the helium normally needed over the operational lifetime of industry-standard MR system magnets.

The BlueSeal Magnet was first introduced as part of the Philips MR – Ingenia Ambition and is now extended with the latest MR 5300 scanner which offers helium-free MR operations with no compromise on diagnostic confidence.

BlueSeal is one of a range of Philips leading health technologies and innovations designed to reduce hospitals’ dependency on natural resources and energy consumption and help meet their sustainability goals.

a fixed device, the image data are ideal for emergency diagnostics and, above all, can be retrieved immediately. Among other things, we were able to detect brain haemorrhages, strokes or acute changes, such as the accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid, in the children examined so far and initiate the appropriate therapies immediately,” said Prof. Sabir.

ECMO patients, however, pose a special challenge to the treatment team in connection with MRI diagnostics.

“While adults have a tube inserted in the groin area to transport blood during ECMO therapy, children often have access at the

“Philips’ breakthrough development of its BlueSeal Magnet places it at the forefront of helium-free medical operations, supporting the transition to sustainable, helium-free-for-life operations, as well as simplifying installation and reducing costly disruptions to MR services. Congratulations on this innovation and being our pick for ‘Best New Technology Solution for Radiology,” said James Johnson, managing director, MedTech Breakthrough.

The MedTech Breakthrough Awards programme honours excellence and recognizes innovation, hard work, and success in a range of health and medical technology categories.

Compared to around 1,500 litres required for a conventional MR magnet, an MR scanner using Philips’ BlueSeal Magnet is preloaded with a mere 7 litres of helium during manufacture, and remains essentially heliumfree in operations for its life cycle. It reduces operating costs for hospitals, simplifies installation due to its reduced weight, and increases neck. The patients have to be moved very carefully and the tube at the neck may only be moved minimally,” explained Prof. Sabir. However, reliable diagnostics, for example of brain haemorrhages, is only possible with MRI imaging. The neonatology and paediatric intensive care team was therefore able to demonstrate in four paediatric ECMO patients that imaging using mobile MRI can be performed without any problems.

The patients studied were a newborn, a twoyear-old, a nine-year-old and a ten-year-old child. One of the children was diagnosed with a major brain haemorrhage using the mobile patient and staff safety by eliminating helium venting, even during a magnet quench.

“We see ourselves as a developer of resilient, energy-efficient, sustainable healthcare products and solutions. Our BlueSeal Magnet not only has the potential to steeply reduce the consumption of helium in the medical industry, but also ensures that on-site operators don’t need to worry about helium-related complications and unpredictability,” said Ruud Zwerink, General Manager MR at Philips.

Philips’ BlueSeal Magnet comes with the unique ability to rapidly return to normal operation after an interruption, such as a magnetic object becoming stuck in the bore. It is supported by an artificial intelligence algorithm in its control electronics that enables single-click discharge and re-energization of the magnet from behind the MR console. This EasySwitch feature is one of several examples of how Philips is using AI to speed radiology workflows.

MRI and was treated immediately.

“The new findings prove that the scan can be performed safely. We obtained meaningful MRI images of the brain without changing the position of the neck cannula and without compromising the children’s safety status. This represents an immense success for future MRI examinations of newborns and larger children who can only survive through the use of ECMO therapy,” said Prof. Andreas Müller, Director of the Department of Neonatology at UKB.

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Chris Hemsworth chef Dan Churchill partners with Technogym, shares his nutrition tips for Summer

Dan Churchill, performance chef and podcast host, took part in the very first Technogym Retreat in May of 2023. He is also the Founder and CEO of Charley St protein grounds and the Culinary Creative Director and Food and Nutrition Expert of Centr, Chris Hemsworth’s lifestyle app. He holds a Masters in Exercise Science (strength & conditioning). Dan is the author of three books and has appeared on notable programs such as ABC’s Good Morning America and The Drew Barrymore Show. He currently owns and operates the production company The Epic Table, along with a podcast of the same name. Dan was born on the beaches of Sydney, Australia and currently resides in New York City.

With summer coming up, Dan Churchill has provided Technogym and wellness enthusiasts with nutrition tips to help stay fit.

6 ways to improve your performance nutrition during the summer (with a focus on UAE’s climate)

• Water hydration. Just 2% dehydration will have an impact on your performance. Especially in the UAE, this is of vital importance where heat can soar! Dehydration has an impact on blood plasma volume and blood flow, your cells do not get the required resources they need. To combat this simply consume 3L of water a day. This is a decent marker.

• Electrolytes. We lose between 350700mg of sodium per hour of exercise depending on how much you perspire. Especially for those doing endurance exercise, be sure to replenish with the amount of sodium that you use (if you are a light sweater aim to the lower target of 350mg. If you are a heavy sweater 700mg per hour of exercise).

• Protein. Protein is naturally important to look after repairing your damaged tissue leading to a performance adaptation. Aim for 1.7x your bodyweight in kg as a base marker for the amount of protein in grams you should be consuming per day. Example: if you weigh 80kg… 80 x 1.7 = 136. So, aim