MRI systems, developed in the 1970s, completely transformed medicine. MRI is a non-invasive technique which produces three-dimensional images with exquisite tissue contrast, but there is a huge downside. A typical clinical system needs a very strong magnetic field provided by a superconducting magnet that weighs several tons and needs liquid helium for cooling. The full device can cost up to three million euros, plus one needs an expensive state-of-the-art infrastructure to make it work, and highly-trained technicians to operate them. 

When a patient lies in an MRI scanner the water molecules act as tiny magnets, precessing at an atomic level in a similar way to a spinning gyroscope. These precessing magnets create a signal, analogous to the magnet on a bike wheel driving a dynamo, and this signal is picked up by , detectors built into the scanner. By analyzing the frequency characteristics of these signals, three-dimensional image of your insides can be formed. 

The key step is to take the dominant high cost of the magnet out of the equation. Rather than a superconducting device, design one with small permanent magnets which require no energy and no cooling. This results in a cheaper, lighter and more portable device. Such a low-field MRI scanner opens up applications that you previously would not have thought of. Think about low-resource healthcare settings such as the ambulance, military field hospitals, remote areas, sports arena, or monitoring the treatment of diseases such as hydrocephalus (a serious condition that consists of an accumulation of cerebral fluid that puts pressure on the brain) which are prevalent in developing countries. 

The scientists that are involved in the project form a truly interdisciplinary and international team. Applied Mathematician Van Gijzen and Electrical Engineer Remis are from the TU Delft. These Dutch scientist write algorithms behind technical applications and simulations. The British Andrew Webb is  Professor in Radiology at the LUMC, Director of the Gorter MRI Center, and is a world specialist on MRI.

The team behind the low-field scanner started to work together with a specific goal: to monitor progress after treatment of paediatric hydrocephalus (waterhoofd) in Uganda. In Uganda and in many other Sub-Saharan countries child mortality rates caused by hydrocephalus are still very high. Due to the very high costs and state of the art infrastructure it needs, regular MRI devices are out-of-reach for many (small) hospitals in Uganda. While the scanner was initially developed to detect hydrocephalus, the design, the magnet and the algorithms can also be used for other diseases. 

Technically the team has a working prototype that has so far produced high quality images from volunteers. This prototype cost thousands instead of millions of euros to design and construct. The next steps are to perform clinical testing, and amongst other things, to improve the ergonomics and patient-comfort, of the design, as well as ensuring that it can operate within strict clinical guidelines. Many cultural, ethical and entrepreneurial aspects need to be investigated before the low-field scanner can be used in low-resource healthcare settings.  There are also many practical issues related to implementation, business models and manufacturing. 

The impact on the need of the scanner
A team of early career scholars conducted a qualitative study into the need of such a scanner in healthcare systems in Uganda and patients’ response to such device, and understanding financial and production possibilities in Uganda in order to develop an adequate business model. The study also included the identification of local manufacturing partners, and improvements to the design of the MRI device. 

A business plan
A business plan is under development by early career scholars that will help the scanner to go from a scientific innovation to a commercial product. This will allow the new MRI technology to have a widespread impact and help as many people as possible. The technology has the potential to extend the use of MRI from the hospital into smaller primary healthcare facilities. This is due to improved safety (low magnetic field), lower power & infrastructure requirements, and lower cost. The innovation also resonates with themes such as access-to-care, tele-radiology and connectivity/modelling.