AIIMS Delhi to install India's first indigenous MRI machine, promising lower treatment cost

India’s first indigenously developed Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machine is set to be installed at AIIMS Delhi by October for clinical trials.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between SAMEER (Society for Applied Microwave Electronics Engineering and Research) and AIIMS, New Delhi, to facilitate collaborative research in MRI and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) systems.

The move is expected to reduce dependence on imported medical equipment, which currently constitutes 80-85% of the sector, and bring down treatment costs, according to AIIMS Delhi.

The MoU outlines five key areas of cooperation: collaborative research in medical devices development; clinical validation of the indigenous 1.5 Tesla MRI system developed by SAMEER; research in artificial intelligence and machine learning for image enhancement and accelerated imaging; design and development of subsystems for high and low-field MRI scanners; and development of RF subsystems for high-field animal MRI scanners.

The Indigenous Magnetic Resonance Imaging (IMRI) National Mission, sponsored by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), is spearheaded by SAMEER, Mumbai, with support from C-DAC (Trivandrum and Kolkata), IUAC (New Delhi), and DSI-MIRC (Bangalore). The mission aims to design, develop, and test a fully indigenous 1.5 Tesla MRI system for medical imaging.

Subsystems such as RF power amplifiers, high-power T/R switches, RF spectrometers, RF coils, control units, and MRI software have been developed and integrated with the procured magnet and gradient systems, a government release said.

Animal trials have been successfully conducted, and the development of an indigenous 1.5 Tesla magnet, including superconducting components and control electronics, is nearing completion. Final cryotesting is underway, after which the system will be fully integrated with indigenous hardware and software.

The MoU was signed in the presence of senior officials from MeitY, SAMEER, and AIIMS, including Rajesh Harsh, Programme Director, SAMEER, Jay Verdhan Tiwari, Scientist E, MeitY, and Prof. Rama Jayasundar, Head of the Department of NMR at AIIMS.

Speaking at the MoU signing, AIIMS Director Dr. M. Srinivas highlighted the need for close collaboration between clinicians and scientists to develop advanced medical devices.

Sunita Verma, Group Coordinator (R&D), MeitY, stressed the importance of co-creation to drive India’s leadership in affordable and indigenous medical solutions.

Dr. P.H. Rao, Director General, SAMEER, detailed the research and technological advancements undertaken by the institution, including MRI, LINAC, and X-ray-based blood irradiators.