Registration secured for Shanghai company's mobile MRI system

Shanghai Soundwise Technology Co Ltd, an AI-driven medical imaging innovator, announced on Thursday that the wMR-510 series mobile head magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system, independently developed by its subsidiary Hangzhou Weiying Medical Technology, has obtained medical device registration and production licenses from China's National Medical Products Administration.

In what is a technological breakthrough, Soundwise Technology is the first enterprise in China, and among only a few globally, to have achieved product registration related to the core technology of shield-free, mobile MRI systems.

The mobile MRI system, which requires no shielding room and can be easily moved into patient rooms, operates on a standard power supply. It is expected to transcend traditional limitations, bringing MRI capabilities beyond radiology departments to emergency, critical care, primary healthcare and bedside diagnostics, thereby enhancing the accessibility of quality medical resources.

Experts have pointed out that medical imaging equipment is undergoing a shift from "large and fixed" to "small and mobile". In 2020, the United States Food and Drug Administration approved the world's first mobile MRI device, suitable for head scans in patients aged 2 and above.

The main device of Soundwise Technology's mobile MRI weighs only 850 kg and occupies less than 2 square meters. It operates on standard household electricity with a power consumption of under 3kW, eliminating the need for specialized power and cooling systems. Such designs also significantly reduce costs, enhancing the accessibility and affordability of MRI products, according to the company.

"Soundwise Technology is committed to extending top-tier hospital-grade imaging capabilities to county and community levels, achieving professional imaging accessible to everyone," said company CEO and founder Zhu Ruixing.

"The approval of this MRI system will further strengthen the ability of the enterprise to serve the grassroots market."