A first: Indigenous MRI machine set for trials at AIIMS

India has developed its first indigenous Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machine. It will be installed at AIIMS-Delhi by October this year for clinical trials.

AIIMS and Sameer, an autonomous government institution under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, had entered into a partnership to drive the project.

During the field trials, AIIMS will provide its feedback to Sameer so that the MRI could be augmented to the global standards. “Having used some of the best global equipment in the world, we also feel that we have become self reliant. We can give the feedback to the innovator and can compare with the global diagnostic products so that better versions could be created. This will help the innovator make the necessary improvements and ensure the technology meets global standards,” Dr M Srinivas, AIIMS director said.

“No MRI machine has been built in the country. AIIMS will conduct clinical trials. Based on the feedback, we will have a next version that will be deployed for commercial use. We have onboarded seven industries for the project. In the future, we will come up with advanced MRI, wherein linear accelerator (LINAC) and MRI will be combined for diagnostics. This will take seven years,” Dr P Hanumantha Rao, Director General, Sameer said.

Rao said that Sameer will also build an open test bed for MRI. “If one creates an algorithm that could be tested at Sameer. Nobody needs to create an entire MRI for trials. Any part of MRI could be tested at the test bed,” he added.

Currently, India imports 85 per cent medical equipment, including MRI and CT scan machines. It imports MRI machines from Germany, China and Malaysia.

Last year, under the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme - a Union Government programme that offers financial incentive to businesses to boost domestic manufacturing - commissioned 19 projects for producing 46 medical devices, which are imported currently.

The domestic manufacturing of MRI machines will help make India more self-reliant in medical technology and bring down the cost of treatment. In the fiscal year 2023-24, the nation’s medical device import bill had increased by Rs 69,000 crore.