Researchers from the POLARIS group and The University of Sheffield’s Insigneo Institute have combined their pioneering magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) lung-scanning technology with new MRI and artificial intelligence (AI) technology developed by GE HealthCare.
The project is supported by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and Medical Research Council through the EPSRC Prosperity Partnerships initiative.
MRI scanners are widely used in hospitals to create detailed images of the body and diagnose disease.
However, machines can be large, bulky and expensive, particularly where large magnetic fields are used for advanced techniques.
Transforming healthcare technology
Science Minister Lord Vallance, said:
MRI scanners have been transformative for healthcare, helping medics better diagnose a host of conditions, including cancer, non-invasively. For many patients, they are lifesaving, helping them to get the treatments they need sooner.
From Sir Peter Mansfield’s work through to today, UK-led science has long had a leading role in putting MRI to work, to benefit patients.
Made possible thanks to part of our record £22.8 billion backing for R&D, this new low-field technology is now making MRI scans easier and cheaper than ever, allowing more patients to access MRI scans, protecting people’s health and easing pressure on the NHS.
Software trained to read images
Medical technology business, GE HealthCare has trained AI software on images generated by scanners with a high magnetic field.
It is then used to reconstruct images from a low-field scanner better than conventional algorithms and effectively achieve the quality of a high-field scan.
It means cost-effective and more mobile MRI scans could be made available on the NHS, allowing more people to be seen more quickly, cutting waiting lists and saving lives.
Increased use of digital technologies such as AI are at the heart of government plans to improve the NHS and make better use of taxpayers’ money.
Researchers pioneer use of gas in lung scans
MRI scans are good at diagnosing disease in soft tissue. Diseases of the lungs are harder to diagnose because so much of the lungs is open space.
Researchers at Sheffield, led by Professor Jim Wild, have pioneered the use of imaging inhaled xenon gas in the lung space to generate high-quality gas MR images.
The xenon gas is ‘hyperpolarised’ using Sheffield’s laser polarisation technology and can be used very effectively at low magnetic fields and is being further developed as part of the project.
A world first
The combination of the lung scanning with AI technology is a world first and could radically improve availability of diagnostic facilities for lung disease.
The NHS says respiratory disease affects one in five people and is England’s third biggest cause of death.
Professor Charlotte Deane, Executive Chair at EPSRC, said:
Our Prosperity Partnerships are harnessing collaborative research by connecting the UK’s leading research communities with businesses.
They enable fundamental research, that delivers innovation for individual businesses and industrial sectors, whilst driving wider economic benefits through improved productivity.
This MRI scanner technology is a great example of the impact of the Prosperity Partnerships initiative and it’s fantastic to see that it has the potential return on investment by providing earlier diagnoses, save the NHS money and enable access to healthcare services in the community.
Quicker diagnosis and earlier treatment for patients
Professor Jim Wild, Project Lead and Director of the Insigneo Institute, said:
Building, installing and running MRI scanners gets more and more expensive the higher the magnetic field and limits the accessibility and clinical reach of the technology. With engineering research improvements low field MRI is making a real comeback.
Combining our xenon MRI technology with cost effective low-field MRI technology could mean a lot of people with respiratory disease get better and quicker access to a diagnosis and earlier treatment.
Test unit opens in University of Sheffield hospital
The technology was officially unveiled on 8 September 2025 at a ceremony at The University of Sheffield MRI unit at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital today.
This marks what is the first Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency medical device trial to be sponsored by The University of Sheffield.
They will be testing the technology on healthy volunteers over the coming months.
If all goes well, the scanner will be opened to volunteer patients and then validated for future clinical use in partnership with the NHS.
AI means NHS could do more with same money
Dr Jan Wolber, Global Product Leader Digital at GE HealthCare, said:
One of the big benefits of this technology is the cost effectiveness for the NHS. It could mean you will be able to do more with the same money.
If these were installed across hospitals then they should bring down waiting lists. Patients could be seen more quickly after referral from a GP. Earlier diagnosis in oncology always leads to better outcomes, so it potentially saves or prolongs lives.
We are often pushing for more complex and feature rich systems. Health services are under cost pressures, so sometimes we need to go back to see if we can do the same thing for less money. Advances in AI allow that, and this is why it is so impactful.
Expansion of new technology
The low-field MRI system was developed at GE HealthCare’s laboratory in Bengaluru in India.
The company believes the new technology could help it to build markets for MRI scanning in less developed areas, such as Africa and Asia.
It is not only applicable to scans of the lungs but could also be used to enhance images in other areas, including for degenerative diseases such as:
- dementia
- Parkinson’s
- multiple sclerosis
- other radiology use cases
Further information
The ‘Extending the clinical reach of MRI scanning through innovative low-field engineering and hyperpolarised xenon technology’ project is based at The University of Sheffield School of Medicine and Population Health.
The project is one of 100 Prosperity Partnerships worth over £600 million supported by EPSRC since 2017.
The scheme attracts matching investment from business and supports strategic, research-based partnerships between businesses and universities.
The School of Medicine and Population Health trains clinicians, scientists and healthcare experts.
Its teaching and research help to improve patient outcomes and address major health challenges around the world.
GE HealthCare is a global business that develops groundbreaking medical technology, intelligent devices and care solutions.
It invests around $1 billion a year in research and development and has UK offices in:
- Chalfont St Giles
- Amersham
- Hatfield
- Belfast
The Insigneo Institute is a collaboration between:
- The University of Sheffield
- Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust
- Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Established in 2012, the institute has built a strong multidisciplinary network of over 400 academics, researchers and clinicians who bring together expertise in:
- biomedical imaging
- healthcare data
- computational modelling
- digital healthcare technologies