Kyoto University and Canon reduce cost of MRI scanner to one tenth

Canon and Kyoto University have developed technology that will reduce the price of an MRI scanner machine to a tenth of their current cost, reports the Nikkei.

MRI machines currently cost between $4 million and $8 million. Canon’s technology is reducing that to $400,000 to $800,000.

Smaller and more affordable MRI scanners will make cancer screenings easier and more widespread and will lead to earlier detection and treatment of cancer.

Currently MRI machines use superconducting electromagnets which need large-scale cooling units.

The Canon/Kyoto technology uses sensors that employ rubidium, an element which becomes magnetised by lasers.

Canon is looking to license the technology to medical equipment companies and reckon that MRI scanners using the technology could be on the market in five years time.

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David Manners has more than forty-years experience writing about the electronics industry, its major trends and leading players. As well as writing business, components and research news, he is the author of the site's most popular blog, Mannerisms. This features series of posts such as Fables, Markets, Shenanigans, and Memory Lanes, across a wide range of topics.