Philips Unveils BlueSeal 1.5T MR for Radiation Treatment Planning at ASTRO
At the 2025 American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) annual meeting in San Francisco, CA, Philips Healthcare introduced BlueSeal 1.5T MR in North America, its latest helium-free 70cm MR system designed specifically for radiation oncology. The system builds on Philips’ global BlueSeal innovation, extending sustainable MR into the radiation therapy domain while offering oncology teams enhanced imaging confidence, flexible siting, and advanced AI-driven performance.
“The BlueSeal magnet is truly transformative because it requires only seven liters of liquid helium, compared with the conventional 1,500 liters,” explained Sally Lin, Global Product Management Leader for MR at Philips. “These seven liters are fully sealed, so they’ll never escape. That means no quench pipe is needed, and the system is about 2,000 kilograms lighter, reducing site preparation costs significantly.”
Sally Lin, MBA, MS, MR Global Product Management Lead, Philips Healthcare
With 2,000 helium-free scanners installed worldwide, BlueSeal is a cornerstone of Philips’ sustainability initiatives. By extending this technology to radiotherapy, Philips addresses a longstanding challenge: installing MR systems in complex oncology environments such as basements, bunkers, or higher floors. The vent-pipe-free design, combined with PowerSave+ efficiency, lowers both siting costs and energy use, expanding access for oncology departments.
Beyond operational advantages, Philips has designed BlueSeal 1.5T MR to deliver high clinical value. Although it is a 1.5T system, Lin noted that its performance often rivals a 3T scanner. “This 1.5T system together with some of our clinical applications is really behaving like a 3T system. So, you can say that you are buying a 1.5T equipment to reach really high clinical performance,” she said.
With SmartSpeed Precise, an AI-based acceleration software, facilities can choose to increase image resolution by up to 65% for sharper contours or scan up to three times faster for greater patient comfort. According to Philips, MR-only imaging with magnetic resonance for calculating attenuation (MRCAT) further simplifies workflows by eliminating registration steps. With full MR-only simulation protocols available in as little as 10 minutes, clinicians gain efficiency while patients benefit from shorter, more comfortable scans—particularly important for those wearing immobilization masks.
Hardware design further enhances clinical workflows. The dedicated couch top for radiation oncology eliminates the need for overlays, positioning patients closer to the posterior coil and naturally improving image quality. Indexing bars provide compatibility with other treatment devices, including Elekta Unity, ensuring reproducibility across systems. In addition, an adjustable anterior coil support maintains optimal proximity without altering patient body contours, a critical factor in precise planning.
Customer feedback has been strong, with early adopters highlighting the platform’s “future-proof” design and ability to expand with new AI applications. Together with Philips’ broader portfolio—including Rembra RT* and Areta RT*— the introduction of BlueSeal 1.5T MR underscores the company’s commitment to advancing accuracy, efficiency, and patient experience in radiation therapy.
* Rembra RT and Areta RT are 510(k) pending and not commercially available for sale.