Philips Korea Highlights Operational Outcomes of Helium-Free MRI at SMC

Healthcare institutions today are increasingly expected to consider not only diagnostic accuracy and patient safety, but also resource efficiency and environmental impact. Diagnostic imaging systems such as MRI require significant amounts of energy and resources while delivering high levels of diagnostic performance. As a result, the industry is moving beyond performance focused evaluation criteria toward a more comprehensive approach that also incorporates operational efficiency and sustainability.

Against this backdrop, SMC introduced a helium-free MRI system in March 2025, becoming the first tertiary hospital in Korea to adopt the technology. Since then, the hospital has accumulated approximately 18 months of operational experience, presenting a model for radiology operations that balances resource efficiency with operational stability.

Philips Ingenia Ambition X with BlueSeal XE installed at SMC features a fully sealed magnet design that significantly reduces helium consumption compared with conventional MRI systems. While traditional MRI systems typically require approximately 1,500 liters of liquid helium, BlueSeal magnet technology requires only around 7 liters of helium and does not require helium refills throughout the system's lifetime.

In addition, the system does not require a quench pipe to vent helium gas externally in the event of a magnet quench, in which the superconducting magnet loses its superconducting state and liquid helium rapidly evaporates. This reduces installation constraints and provides healthcare institutions with greater flexibility in site planning and space utilization, while also supporting long-term operational stability.

Since becoming the first institution in Korea to adopt helium-free MRI technology, SMC has continued to build operational experience in sustainable radiology over the past 18 months. As a tertiary hospital operating around the clock, the institution emphasized the importance of maintaining a stable imaging environment while introducing a new MRI operational model that considers both resource efficiency and operational reliability.

The system’s structural design, which eliminates the need for emergency venting infrastructure, also helped reduce installation limitations and minimize the burden associated with helium replenishment, contributing to long-term operational stability. The initiative is regarded as a case that expands the focus beyond MRI performance alone to include the broader sustainability of hospital operations.

During the operational period, the hospital reduced helium consumption by approximately 1,500 liters compared with conventional MRI systems. In addition, by utilizing operational modes that minimize power consumption during non-operating hours, the system reduced annual electricity usage by approximately 40 megawatt-hours (MWh).[1] This is equivalent to the amount of energy required to fully charge more than 1,100 compact electric vehicles.[2] From a carbon emissions perspective,[3] the hospital also achieved an estimated reduction of approximately 16 tons of carbon dioxide emissions, comparable to the amount emitted by a passenger vehicle driving approximately 67,000 kilometers[4].

Furthermore, even in the event of a quench, the fully sealed magnet structure minimizes helium loss and reduces the need for helium replenishment, enabling faster system recovery compared with conventional MRI systems. The system installed at Samsung Medical Center has continued to operate stably to date.

“Maintaining a stable imaging environment is critically important for tertiary hospitals where diagnostic imaging systems operate 24 hours a day,” said Ji Hye Kim, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Radiology at SMC. “Going forward, healthcare institutions will increasingly need to consider not only image quality and examination efficiency, but also operational sustainability and resource efficiency as key priorities.”

“SMC is the first healthcare institution in Korea to proactively validate the potential of sustainable radiology operations through the adoption of helium-free MRI technology,” said Nak-hoon Choi, Country Leader of Philips Korea. “This case demonstrates that healthcare providers can pursue both advanced diagnostic capabilities and sustainability at the same time.”