Philips and Polarean have expanded their partnership to enhance access to advanced, radiation-free lung MRI technology for detecting and monitoring obstructive lung diseases.
This collaboration seeks to broaden the use of Polarean’s Xenon MRI, a technique that employs hyperpolarised Xenon gas to offer real-time insights into lung ventilation, beyond standard imaging capabilities.
Currently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in individuals aged 12 and older, pending approval may soon allow its application for children as young as six. This marks significant progress in early detection and long-term monitoring of such conditions without radiation risks, said the companies.
Obstructive lung diseases, including asthma and COPD, impact over 42 million people in the US and more than 500 million globally, posing considerable challenges to respiratory health care.
Existing imaging methods often fall short in demonstrating detailed lung function, creating a demand for non-invasive imaging solutions that do not involve radiation exposure. This need is particularly pressing in paediatric contexts, where repeated imaging is crucial for tracking disease progression or treatment outcomes.
Philips and Polarean are addressing this challenge by integrating Xenon MRI into routine clinical practice and making it accessible to younger patients. The technology, now incorporated into Philips’ 3.0T MRI systems, allows clinicians to conduct a scan session in under a minute using the FDA-cleared Polarean XENOVIEW 3T Chest Coil with just two 10-second breath-holds.
Philips MRI business leader Ioannis Panagiotelis said: “By integrating the Xenon MRI platform into our advanced 3.0T MRI systems, we’re delivering a powerful, non-invasive tool that can transform how we diagnose, monitor, and manage chronic lung disease.
“This radiation-free technology is especially important for younger patients and has the potential to shift multi-nuclei imaging from research to everyday clinical care.”
This integration facilitates seamless transitions between Xenon and Proton imaging without requiring patient repositioning or coil changes, enhancing convenience for medical teams and patients alike. Clinicians can directly observe regional lung ventilation, improving disease detection and monitoring accuracy.
Polarean CEO Christopher von Jako said: “Using our FDA-cleared Polarean XENOVIEW 3T Chest Coil, clinicians can perform both Xenon and Proton scans during two 10-second breath-holds without needing to reposition the patient or switch coils.
“The procedure is intuitive via the Philips user interface and keeps total in-bore time to around one minute.”
At the upcoming ISMRM Annual Meeting, Philips and Polarean will showcase advancements in multi-nuclei MRI technology, highlighting high-resolution imaging of regional lung ventilation. These innovations aim to extend the reach of advanced pulmonary imaging solutions.
Since introducing its multi-nuclei imaging solution in 2022, Philips has reported significant global uptake, with non-proton nuclei usage now integrated into clinical workflows at one in ten 3.0T MRI sites worldwide.
