First India-made MRI Scanner to Launch for Clinical Work in October

First India-made MRI Scanner to Launch for Clinical Work in October

Subject: Science and technology

Section: Health

Indigenous Innovation and Unique Features

• Developed by Bengaluru-based Voxelgrids Innovations Private Limited.
• Innovations include avoiding reliance on scarce liquid helium, bottom-up software design, and customized hardware.
• Design also enables faster scans and reduced scan time.

Helium Shortage and Current MRI Challenges

• Helium scarcity is due to being sourced primarily from natural gas reserves, which are becoming increasingly scarce.
• Global helium shortage, worsened by the Russia-Ukraine war, impacting MRI facilities, including in India.
• Helium’s primary use in MRI is as a coolant to maintain low temperatures for superconducting magnets.

The Innovative Solution

• Voxelgrids’ MRI scanner avoids dependence on liquid helium by using liquid nitrogen for cooling.
• Clinically validated product to be unveiled in October at Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences, Bengaluru.
• Addresses accessibility issues for MRI scans in India, especially in rural areas.

Current MRI Scanning Situation in India

• India has around 4,500 MRI scanners, far below (one-third)  the required number for its population.
• Scarcity leads to higher costs, ranging from ₹5,000 to ₹25,000 for MRI services.
• Customized machines by multinational companies come with high costs, limiting accessibility.

Development Journey and Funding

• Dr. Arjun Arunachalam’s journey from learning MRI technology to founding Voxelgrids.
• Collaborations and funding challenges until receiving support from Tata Trusts in 2016.
• ₹12 crore grant from BIRAC (Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council) in 2019 enabled the company to establish its dedicated facility.
• Voxelgrids has plans to build 10 more MRI scanners to expand its impact.
• Clinical certification from CDSCO received, enabling commercial sales and wider use.

Comparison with Other Initiatives

• SAMEER’s (Society for Applied Microwave Electronics Engineering and Research) 2015 initiative to build an Indian MRI machine.

BIRAC (Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council)

Introduction and Purpose

• It was founded as a not-for-profit Section 8, Schedule B, Public Sector Enterprise by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India.
• Nurtures biotechnology innovation in India.
• Aims to accelerate research, development, and commercialization of biotech products.

SAMEER (Society for Applied Microwave Electronics Engineering and Research)

Foundation and Focus

• Established by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology in 1984.
• SAMEER was set up as an autonomous Research & Development (R&D) laboratory in Mumbai under the then Department of Electronics, Government of India.
• It was created with a broad mandate to undertake R&D work in the areas of Microwave Engineering and Electromagnetic Engineering Technology.

Origins and Evolution

• SAMEER is an offshoot of the Special Microwave Products Unit (SMPU) established in 1977 at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) in Mumbai.
• SAMEER, Mumbai, was formally set up in 1984, focusing on microwave and electromagnetic technologies.

How MRI works:

• Magnetic Fields: Strong magnets create a uniform magnetic field around the body.
• RF Pulses: Radiofrequency pulses disrupt the alignment of protons in body water molecules.
• Relaxation: Protons realign with the magnetic field, releasing energy as signals.
• Signal Detection: Detectors collect emitted signals from the body.
• Spatial Encoding: Gradients encode spatial information of signals.
• Data Acquisition: Collected data forms “k-space” with raw images.
• Image Reconstruction: Computer algorithms process data to create detailed images.
• Tissue Differentiation: Varying relaxation times provide contrast between tissues.
• Types of Images: Different sequences create various types of images.
• Clinical Use: Used to diagnose diseases in the brain, organs, joints, and more.
• Soft Tissue Imaging: Particularly effective for high-resolution soft tissue images.
• Safety: Safe, no ionizing radiation; caution with metal implants.

Helium and nitrogen as superconductor coolants: