Iseult, an MRI capable of acquiring high-resolution brain images in just 4 minutes, compared to 2 hours with existing technology, has been developed.
Isolte, which has a powerful magnetic field of up to 11.7 T, can process high-resolution brain images in just 4 minutes. Using Isolte, images of brain tissue can be acquired in 1mm increments. Currently, the magnetic field strength commonly used for MRI is between 1.5T and 3T, but it takes 2 hours to acquire images of 1mm units with such MRI, and if the patient also moves slightly, the image becomes blurry. It is expected that this issue will be resolved using Isolte.
The diameter of the area where the patient rests his head is 90 cm, which is on average 20 to 30 cm larger than existing products. This is expected to reduce the burden on claustrophobic patients.
Isolte was developed by the French Commission for Alternative Energy and Atomic Energy (CEA) and was tested on amber a few years ago and, in 2024, successfully scanned the brains of 20 healthy humans. Isolte, which can capture sharp images, is much larger and heavier than other MRI equipment, reaching 5 meters in length and weighing 132 tons. In most cases, a general MRI is 2 to 3 meters long and does not exceed 10 tons in weight. Isolte also requires 7,500 liters of liquid helium to cool the magnets to -271.35°C. Considering its size, complexity and cost, the number of hospitals that can use Isolte is likely to be limited. The CEA said Isolte will help understand, diagnose and treat neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. Related information can be found here.
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