INOXCVA manufactures India’s first indigenously designed 4K Helium cryostat for MRI magnet system

New Delhi: INOXCVA, has achieved a significant milestone by completing the fabrication of India’s first indigenously designed zero-boil-off 4K helium cryostat for a whole-body 1.5T Superconducting MRI magnet system.

The fabrication of the MRI cryostat was carried out at their state-of-the-art facilities in Vadodara, Gujarat. This introduction of this technology would lead to lowering of MRI expenses, and therefore making healthcare more affordable in India. With the significant milestone coinciding with the celebration of Amritkaal, commemorating 75 years of independence, the MRI magnet system has been named I-Amrit 1.5, i.e. Indian Advanced MRI Technology 1.5. 

The cryostat was indigenously designed by a team of scientists, engineers, and research fellows led by Dr. Soumen Kar, Principle Investigator of Indigenous Magnetic Resonance Imaging (IMRI) project at Inter-University Accelerator Centre (IUAC), New Delhi. The prestigious national project on the development of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, a national mission, was initiated under the leadership of Mr. Rajesh Harsh, Chief Investigator, IMRI project, at SAMEER (Society for Applied Microwave Electronics Engineering & Research), Mumbai, in collaboration with IUAC, Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), and funded by the Ministry of Electronics and IT.

Dr. Soumen Kar, Principle Investigator of Indigenous Magnetic Resonance Imaging (IMRI) said, “The development of modern MRI magnets and the 4K helium cryostat with zero-boil-off technology was an exceptionally challenging task, requiring the application of numerous complex indigenous technologies. Achieving the stringent performance targets required for clinical scanners demanded the highest level of technological perfection in integrating the magnet with the helium cryostat. The IUAC and INOX teams have worked tirelessly over the past few months to accomplish a remarkable feat, which now positions India as the sixth country in the world to manufacture MRI magnet systems. I would like to express my gratitude to the INOX team for their successful manufacturing of the MRI cryostat, coinciding with India’s celebration of the Amrit Kaal, marking 75 years of independence.”

Rajesh Harsh, Chief Investigator, IMRI Project, SAMEER-Mumbai said, “The combination of the MRI magnet system developed by IUAC, the indigenous RF technology from SAMEER Mumbai, and software created by CDAC Kolkata and Trivandrum, positions India to achieve complete self-reliance in modern MRI technology. I extend my congratulations to the INOX team for successfully manufacturing the MRI cryostat and integrating the magnet at their state-of-the-art facility in Gujarat. Witnessing the complex manufacturing process at INOX’s factory gives us the confidence to pursue indigenous production of MRI machines in India, which will enable us to provide affordable healthcare to a wider population.”

Commenting on the occasion, Siddharth Jain, Director – INOXCVA said, “We are extremely proud to have successfully manufactured, India’s first indigenously designed 1.5T superconducting MRI magnet cryostat in partnership with the Ministry of Electronics & IT. We are delighted to be a part of the process which made India, only the 6^th nation in the world to manufacture MRI magnet systems. This groundbreaking achievement is a testament to our unwavering commitment to revolutionizing the healthcare sector in India with cutting-edge solutions. We are confident that this game-changing engineering masterpiece will help make high-quality healthcare affordable and accessible to people across the country, and we look forward to continuing our work towards the betterment of society.”