New Delhi: The Society for Applied Microwave Electronics Engineering & Research (SAMEER) and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for collaborative research on medical devices. The agreement was formalised on the 32nd Foundation Day of the Department of NMR at AIIMS, New Delhi.
The MoU will enable both institutions to work together in developing high-field and low-field Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) systems. It also aims to promote research in radio frequency, microwave systems, and allied areas for medical applications.
India’s mission for self-reliance in MRI technology has received a significant boost through this collaboration. The Indigenous Magnetic Resonance Imaging (IMRI) initiative, a national mission sponsored by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), is being implemented at SAMEER, Mumbai, with C-DAC (Trivandrum and Kolkata), IUAC (New Delhi), and DSI-MIRC (Bangalore) as collaborating agencies. The objective is to design, develop, and test an indigenous 1.5 Tesla MRI system for medical imaging.
Several key subsystems have already been developed and tested, including the RF power amplifier, high-power T/R switch, RF spectrometer, RF coils, receiver front ends, control unit, couch, and IMRI software. These components have been integrated with a procured magnet, gradient coil, and gradient amplifier, and animal trials have been completed. Development of an indigenous 1.5 Tesla magnet, including superconducting components, a quench protection system, a helium cryostat, a magnet ramping unit, an emergency rundown unit, and fast data acquisition and control electronics, is progressing. The magnet has been successfully ramped up to 1.5 Tesla, and final cryotesting is underway. Seven companies have been engaged through an Expression of Interest process to further develop the technology. At this stage, the MoU with AIIMS will facilitate clinical validation and accelerate India’s progress towards self-reliance in MRI technology.
Director of AIIMS, New Delhi, M. Srinivas, highlighted the importance of showcasing the country’s capabilities and emphasised the need for clinicians to work closely with scientists to develop more advanced medical devices. He assured full support from AIIMS in this endeavour.
Group coordinator for R&D at MeitY, Sunita Verma, stressed the importance of co-creation to help India make significant strides in developing cost-effective and indigenous healthcare solutions, including medical devices, to meet both domestic and global demand.
Additional secretary at MeitY, Abhishek Singh, stated that the partnership will strengthen India’s medical device ecosystem. He spoke about the country’s preparedness in embracing artificial intelligence and the AI Mission, particularly in healthcare. He also acknowledged SAMEER’s capabilities and its potential to develop indigenous medical devices in partnership with AIIMS.
Director General of SAMEER, PH Rao, provided insights into the research activities being undertaken, with a special focus on medical devices. He detailed advancements in MRI, LINAC, and X-ray-based blood irradiators and highlighted the crucial role of clinicians in the development of medical devices.
The MoU was signed on Tuesday in the presence of Abhishek Singh, additional secretary at MeitY; Sunita Verma, group coordinator and scientist G at MeitY; Rajesh Harsh, programme director at SAMEER; Jay Verdhan Tiwari, scientist E at MeitY; and Rama Jayasundar, head of the Department of NMR at AIIMS, New Delhi, along with other dignitaries.
BI Bureau
