0.5T GE Healthcare whole-body MRI system
We have a prototype 0.5T GE Healthcare whole-body MRI system, situated in the University MRI unit at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital, with a 60cm bore.
This scanner is supported by an EPSRC Prosperity Partnership between the University of Sheffield and GE Healthcare: “Extending the clinical reach of MRI scanning through innovative low-field engineering and hyperpolarized xenon technology” to develop 1H and 129Xe lung MRI, with optimised MR hardware, image acquisition and AI-enhanced reconstruction, to help realise cheaper and more accessible low-field MRI.
This system is intended to be used for investigational purposes only and is not commercially available. It is currently at field and initial phantom testing is underway, with human volunteer testing planned for Autumn 2025. Multi-nuclear hardware is due to be installed in late 2025.
We run four whole body MRI scanners across the two clinical research sites in Sheffield. All systems are located in a setting that is clinically covered for patient based imaging research.
All scanners have full multi-nuclear transmit-receive capability and 32 RF receive channels. Systems are equipped with RF coils for 1H, 129Xe, 31P, 3He, 19F, 13C and 23Na.