How helium-independent MRI is transforming care in the Peruvian Andes

In 1991, two German physicians – Klaus and Martina John – traveled as backpackers through Peru, staying in Andean villages and living with indigenous Quechua families. They saw poverty and the lack of medical care up close. This gave them a goal: To one day return and build a modern hospital for the poorest. And they made it happen: On August 31, 2007, Diospi Suyana Hospital opened in Curahuasi, Apurímac. By October, it was already treating patients – and quickly became a center for poor and indigenous families across southern Peru.

Meanwhile in Germany, researchers at Siemens Healthineers together with colleagues in the UK and China had been working on an ambitious project that also seemed unlikely: an MRI that could be installed anywhere. The idea was to bring the technology to places where it had not been possible before. For more than a decade, David Grodzki and Stephan Biber from Siemens Healthineers and Professor Michael Uder from teaching hospital Uniklinikum Erlangen and their respective teams had developed and tested the Magnetom Free platform, consisting of two 0.55 Tesla scanners that require just 0.7 liters of liquid helium as opposed to the hundreds of liters needed by conventional systems. They also consume less energy and leverage AI to reconstruct images. “We wanted to design a machine that was accessible, efficient, and could work in places where no one imagined an MRI could ever be installed,” explains Grodzki.

Their determination paid off: In 2023, the three received the German Future Prize from Germany’s Federal President. It was clear from the start that they wanted to put their prize money where it would make an impact. That’s when they heard of Diospi Suyana by chance – and the rest is history. 

“When we learned that Curahuasi had never had an MRI, we knew it was the perfect place,” says Biber. Convinced by the vision of the hospital, they rallied together financial support from Siemens AG and Siemens Healthineers AG and bought a Magnetom Free.Star to give to the hospital in the Andes. The donation also includes ten years of technical service, maintenance, and training for local staff.

Within a couple of months, the new MRI was up and running in Apurimac, Peru. It had traveled more than 10,000 kilometers from Oxford, UK, where the magnets are made, to Erlangen, Germany, for assembly and then on to the hospital in Curahuasi. Two teams from Uniklinikum Erlangen traveled out to support the local team in setting up their first MRI. With autopilot mode and remote support, radiology technologists began scanning almost immediately. 

Radiology technologist Claudia Agustinsa says: “We were trained by the developers themselves. Being among the first to run an MRI in this part of Peru is an honor I never imagined I’d have.” And her colleague radiologist Wilson Ferata adds: “I never thought I’d work with an MRI in my hometown. It’s both a professional and personal blessing. Now, we not only give more accurate diagnoses – we also give patients hope.” One of these patients is Klinton, a 23-year-old from Abancay. “Before, I had to travel to Lima – two days by bus, spending at least 5,000 soles on transport, food, and lodging,” he explains. “Now I can be treated here, close to home. It was quick, safe, and I didn’t have to go into debt.” 

Shortly after the first patients were scanned with the new MRI, Biber, Grodzki, and Uder with their families decided to pay a visit to Diospi Suyana Hospital. Biber vividly recalls: “The day I saw the scanner running here, I got goosebumps. It wasn’t just an invention – it was a tool that changes lives in real time.”  “For us, it’s a dream come true,” says Klaus John, MD. “For years, we thought MRI was impossible here. Seeing it in our hospital proves nothing is out of reach when science and solidarity work together.” His wife Martina John adds: “We treated a 14-year-old girl with a pelvic tumor. Before, we could only guess from CT scans. With MRI, we had a clear view and could decide on the right treatment. It’s a huge leap in our medical capabilities.”

The story of Magnetom Free.Star shows that ten years of research and 10,000 kilometers of distance can come together in a rural hospital in the Peruvian Andes. In Curahuasi, which not long ago was little more than a health outpost, patients now have access to a modern hospital with operating rooms, specialists, and – for the first time – a state-of-the-art MRI system.  “Ten years ago, I thought 0.5 Tesla was impossible. Seeing the results in Apurímac proved me wrong. It’s not just physics – it’s innovation with a purpose,” said Uder.