The MRI sustainability life cycle

When developing components, engineers are always thinking about whether components can be repaired and whether this can be done in a way that conserves resources and lower costs. The result is frequently a win-win situation. 

“This is why we offer repair services for a broad spectrum of MRI components, especially local coils, but also electronics and patient tables,” says Norbert Gebhardt, the head of the Local Coils Production team at Siemens Healthineers in Erlangen. This philosophy pays off in another way as well: “Repairing helps us learn how customers use our coils. If certain problems occur again and again, the product will be modified so that customers have a better product in the end,” Gebhardt says. Quality, in other words, has its very own sustainability dimension to it because components that require fewer repairs will need fewer transports and less (re)packaging.

It is important to explore several ways to limit the amount of raw materials required for the systems and to extend the service life of the scanners. One essential aspect is the on-site upgrade service offered for many MRI scanners.

Let’s say that a medical center has a MRI system that was first introduced in 2003. This system can be “rejuvenated” in the hospital where it operates and turned into a scanner that is one or even two generations younger. The sustainability dimension of this on-site upgrade service is often overlooked, says Lars Drüppel, the Vice President for Product Lifecycle Management at Siemens Healthineers. It enables a customer who needs a more up-to-date MRI system to avoid purchasing a completely new system. Such an option eliminates the need for energy-intensive shipping as well as the extensive work that is required to assemble a new system. “We keep potential upgrades in mind for every MRI that we sell,” Drüppel says.

"It takes two to three weeks to upgrade an MRI scanner on-site," says Jan Chudzik, the Head of Installed Base Business MRI at Siemens Healthineers. This is a fraction of the time needed to install a new device. Less downtime is an important reason for the upgrades. A user can get back to business as usual faster by deciding to upgrade an older system and not purchase a new one.

During an upgrade, virtually every component in the old MRI is dismantled, except the magnet. The magnet can be left on-site because it is extremely durable.

At some point, though, it makes sense and is advisable to invest in a new system. For example, when an institution wants to further improve the patient experience or if a facility wants to perform more interventional procedures and therefore needs a system with a larger bore. Such needs do not mean the end of the pre-owned system.