Just how difficult is it to manufacture an MRI machine? Long monopolized by foreign countries, what achievements has domestic MRI technology made?

In hospitals concerning the health of 1.4 billion people in China, many key pieces of equipment are firmly controlled by European and American giants. With the rapid advancement of technology, more and more medical devices of various sizes have been applied in hospitals, the most common of which is the MRI machine. I'm sure many people think MRI machines are expensive when they hear about them. And indeed they are; a single examination can cost hundreds or even thousands, with many people complaining that doctors are ripping them off. But in reality, doctors don't earn that much money. The main reason is that many key large-scale medical devices are monopolized by foreign companies for a long time.

Only a few companies in the world, such as Bruker in Germany, can provide them. To be precise, the medical equipment market has long been monopolized by GE, Philips, and Siemens.



So, can China not produce MRI machines? This isn't the case; China has already produced MRI machines, but the prevalence of China's MRI machines can basically only reach 1.5T. It cannot reach the 3.0T and higher levels, and the core technologies are mainly in the hands of some foreign brands.



However, from the perspective of domestic patients, they believe that imported products are more reliable. Most hospitals also consider the patients' thoughts. In fact, the technology of foreign MRI machines is indeed more mature, after all, their development and research started many years earlier than China's. This has led to imported brands still occupying about 60% of China's high-end medical equipment market.



So what exactly is an MRI machine?



Simply put, it is a large magnetic field used to receive electromagnetic wave signals and then draw an image of the body, which is hydrogen atom imaging. The 'nuclear' here does not refer to a nucleus containing toxic substances; rather, it refers to the nucleus of the hydrogen atom. Hydrogen atom imaging can also be understood as imaging using water molecules in the body.

Because the design of this instrument is quite complex and the technology is special, it requires strong engineering technology support, resulting in a high technical threshold. Currently, the import Price of this instrument is approximately RMB 3.4 million to 36 million. This Price only includes the instrument itself and does not include the salaries of medical staff, electricity, or maintenance fees.



MRI Difficulties



The principle seems simple, but what are the difficulties?



An MRI machine has many components, and the most difficult of these is the magnet. How difficult is it?



Let's put it this way: it needs to maintain a high magnetic field and high homogeneity in the target area.



Note the two keywords: high magnetic field, high homogeneity.



To achieve these two functions, the key lies in superconducting materials.



At the same time, in addition to the main magnet that provides a stable magnetic field, there are also shimming coils to adjust the homogeneity, as well as radiofrequency coils. In addition, there are cryogenic facilities related to the main magnet and the shimming coils.



Therefore, it's reasonable that the magnet accounts for about half of the cost of an MRI machine. Also, the higher the resolution of the machine, the larger the magnetic field required, and the stronger the field strength, the clearer the image obtained.



For example, commonly used MRI machines in hospitals include 1.5T and 3.0T types. Here, T is the unit of magnetic field strength, called Tesla in Chinese. Another unit for evaluating magnetic field strength is Gauss.



1 Tesla = 10000 Gauss.



So how strong is 1 Gauss?



Taking our familiar Earth as an example, the Earth has a geomagnetic field. The magnetic field strength near the equator is 0.3 Gauss, and 0.7 Gauss at the north pole.



Therefore, for a 1.5T MRI machine, the magnetic field strength of the equipment is 50,000 times that of the Earth's magnetic field!



Does such a large magnetic field have any impact on the human body?



In fact, the magnetic resonance imaging method has no radioactivity whatsoever, so there is no need to worry about any radiation damage to the body from an MRI scan.

Achievements in Domestic MRI



However, due to the special nature of the magnet design and the complexity of the process, strong comprehensive engineering skills are required, making the technical threshold very high.



Currently, the Price of medical MRI machines is around RMB 3.5 million to 35 million. Of course, this is only the Price of the machine itself, and does not include the salaries of medical staff, electricity costs, maintenance fees, etc.



Looking at domestic MRI:



Although we have basically achieved popularization in the 1.5T MRI category, in the 3.0T and higher field strength fields, the core technology is mainly in the hands of foreign Brands.



Fortunately, the state has already realized this problem. The Ministry of Science and Technology and the National Natural Science Foundation have established major projects and increased investment, resulting in many gratifying achievements.



For example, United Imaging's 3.0T exploration MRI has broken the long-standing foreign monopoly, realizing the independent research and development of core components and possessing independent intellectual property rights.



An MRI scan is so expensive; what are its advantages and disadvantages?



Advantages: Compared to CT scans, which produce radiation, MRI scans have no radiation and produce clearer images.



Disadvantages: The examination takes a relatively long time and has relatively loud noise.



Who is not suitable for an MRI scan?



① People with gas in their lungs or intestines; a CT scan is generally preferred.



② Emergency patients are not suitable for this examination.



③ People with metal in their bodies or pacemakers.



④ People who are afraid of confined spaces are not suitable.



Does an MRI scan have any impact on the human body?



In fact, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) does not involve any radiation, so you don't have to worry about radiation damage to your body during an MRI scan. However, it's important to note that MRI scans require patients to lie still inside the machine, which can be difficult for young children or elderly individuals who lack self-control. In such cases, sedatives may be administered to assist with the procedure.



But then some may ask, if there's no radiation involved, why are MRI rooms marked with large warning signs and have thick doors? The purpose of the door is mainly threefold:



①Hospitals have a lot of medical equipment, which can easily lead to magnetic field interference that disrupts the machine's operation. Signals from our Mobile phones can also interfere with this magnetic field, therefore the thick door is necessary to isolate these electromagnetic wave signals.



②Hospital environments are complex and have a lot of foot traffic. Patients undergoing scans may be disturbed by external noise, and the MRI machine itself is quite noisy during operation, potentially disturbing others.



③The machine's magnetic field is very strong. Without a door, many metal objects could be attracted to the machine during operation, potentially causing significant damage.



Although China's technology in this area, including medical equipment technology, is not as advanced as some other countries, I believe that with China's strength and dedication to research, it will soon break the market monopoly on medical equipment.





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