University of Sheffield and GE HealthCare develop low-field MRI scanner for respiratory disease diagnosis

University of Sheffield and GE HealthCare have announced the development of a Low-Field Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Scanner designed to support the diagnosis of respiratory conditions.

The scanner has been developed in partnership with GE HealthCare and is intended to address respiratory diseases, which affect millions of people and cost the NHS over £6 billion annually. Respiratory disease is the fourth biggest killer in the UK and remains among the most neglected conditions in terms of advanced diagnostics and treatment.

The new technology is aimed at improving diagnosis of conditions including cystic fibrosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), interstitial pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), lung cancer and asthma. According to the University of Sheffield, the technology could improve patient outcomes, make diagnosis more accessible and reduce NHS expenditure.

The research programme received Government funding through EPSRC Prosperity Partnerships, jointly awarded by the UKRI Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the Medical Research Council (MRC). The Low-Field MRI scanner project was one of 19 collaborative EPSRC Prosperity Partnerships awarded in 2023, with a collective value of £149 million across all partnerships.

The technology was unveiled at the University MRI unit at Royal Hallamshire Hospital. This marks the first MHRA medical device trial sponsored by the University of Sheffield. The research team is conducting a trial with 60 healthy volunteers to establish normative ranges before scanning patients.

Jim Wild, Professor of Magnetic Resonance Physics and Co-director of the University of Sheffield’s Insigneo Institute, said,
“This new technology is uniquely placed to help detect early signs of lung disease or damage in the lungs which would otherwise go undetected by routine tests.
Highly sensitive and radiation-free, the technology is safe for all ages, even children and infants. Scans are fast, lasting just minutes, and can be repeated as often as needed to monitor lung changes during disease progression and treatment.
Right now, patients often face lengthy waiting lists and distant travel to access an MRI scanner to receive a diagnosis and begin treatment. Our Low-Field MRI Scanner aims to revolutionise this, opening up the potential for significantly more cost effective, smaller scanners in local health centres. This would bring a vital diagnostic tool closer to patients in their communities, speeding up diagnosis and improving health outcomes.”

Simon McGuire, Zone President Northern, Eastern, Southern Europe at GE HealthCare, added,
“At GE HealthCare, we’re committed to advancing precision care and making diagnostic innovation more accessible. This collaboration with the University of Sheffield exemplifies how we can harness AI and novel imaging techniques to reimagine MRI technology – bringing vital respiratory diagnostics closer to patients and communities, while reducing environmental impact and costs.”

Professor Charlotte Deane, Executive Chair at EPSRC, said,
“Our Prosperity Partnerships are harnessing collaborative research by connecting the UK’s leading research communities with businesses. They enable fundamental research that delivers innovation for individual businesses and industrial sectors, whilst driving wider economic benefits through improved productivity.
This MRI scanner technology is a great example of the impact of the Prosperity Partnerships initiative and it’s fantastic to see that it has the potential return on investment by providing earlier diagnoses, saving the NHS money and enabling access to healthcare services in the community.”

Most MRI scanners currently in use in the UK are high-field systems. These systems employ strong superconducting magnets and radio waves to produce detailed images of the body’s internal structures. They require large quantities of liquid helium for cooling, which increases both cost and environmental footprint.

Advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) have enabled the Sheffield-GE HealthCare research team to reconstruct images from low-field MRI to a quality comparable to high-field scans. The algorithms have been trained using data from thousands of high-field scans.

The new technology also incorporates a xenon gas imaging technique. Patients inhale magnetised xenon gas, making the gas visible during the scan. This highlights areas of the lungs where oxygen typically travels and enables detection of airway changes and detailed information about lung structure and function. Initially developed with high-field MRI, this technique has been successfully tested in hundreds of patients, and the team is working to apply it to low-field scanners.

The project will also study the behaviour of MRI contrast agents at lower field strength.

The low-field scanner’s lower cost, portability and reduced maintenance requirements could also support adoption in low- and middle-income countries, where access to MRI technology is limited.

Science Minister Lord Vallance stated, “MRI scanners have been transformative for healthcare, helping medics better diagnose a host of conditions, including cancer, non-invasively. For many patients, they are life-saving, helping them to get the treatments they need sooner.
From Sir Peter Mansfield’s work through to today, UK-led science has long had a leading role in putting MRI to work, to benefit patients. Made possible thanks to part of our record £22.8 billion backing for R&D, this new low-field technology is now making MRI scans easier and cheaper than ever, allowing more patients to access MRI scans, protecting people’s health and easing pressure on the NHS.”