The NextMRI project heralds a new era of mobile and accessible diagnostics
PhysioMRI is a Spanish company pioneering the development of portable low-field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems, and one of its most ambitious projects is NextMRI. This project represents a qualitative leap in medical imaging technology, combining portability, energy efficiency and powerful software to achieve an accessible, high-quality diagnostic solution.
Start of the project
NextMRI has its origins in previous work carried out by the Institute of Instrumentation for Molecular Imaging (i3M), a joint centre run by the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV) and the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC). Thanks to several patents developed by i3M and the involvement of its spin-off PhysioMRI Tech SL, magnetic resonance images had already been obtained in non-clinical settings: offices, outdoors, and even homes.
In October 2023, the project was formalised under a grant agreement with the European Innovation Council (EIC). It will run from 1 October 2023 to 30 September 2026.
Funding
The total budget for the NextMRI project is fully funded by the European Union through the EIC. PhysioMRI Tech SL participates as one of the beneficiaries of the consortium, alongside the CSIC, La Fe Hospital (IIS La Fe) and other clinical and technological partners (Bergman Clinics or Leiden University Medical Center), including international institutions.
The funding objectives are ambitious: to expand the technology to acquire images of extremities (such as knees or hands), integrate machine learning algorithms to improve image reconstruction, optimise device portability, reduce production costs, conduct clinical trials, and lay the foundations for a sustainable business model.
NextMRI project website
The project has its own official website, with the domain nextmri.eu. On this page, you can find detailed information about the scientific background, objectives, methodology, participating consortium, and the different phases of the project.
At the same time, PhysioMRI maintains its institutional website at physiomri.com, where it describes its developments in portable magnetic resonance imaging (such as its low-field scanner), its mission — to ‘democratise magnetic resonance imaging’ with accessible equipment that is not tied to traditional hospital infrastructure — and its recent advances. Its blog features posts about NextMRI, explaining how the innovative software improves image quality even when the magnetic field is lower, and how the equipment is designed to be compact, ergonomic, and mobile.
Conclusion
NextMRI is a transformative initiative: by combining PhysioMRI’s expertise in portable magnetic resonance imaging with European funding, and incorporating state-of-the-art software to improve image quality, the project aims to take magnetic resonance imaging beyond large hospitals. Its website offers a clear window into the state of development, clinical objectives and collaborators, and its ambitious business plan could mark a turning point in access to diagnostic imaging.
