Photo: CCTV

 

China's domestically developed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) instrument has been successfully developed and mass-produced, breaking through a long-standing foreign technological blockade. 

The domestic-born MRI instrument has been applied in Peking University Shenzhen Hospital since it has been developed by researchers from the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology affiliated with Chinese Academy of Sciences (SIAT). 

"The image quality is equal to that from international advanced producers at a cheaper cost. It will largely reduce fees for the public to see doctors," according to Zhang Hui, the deputy director from the medical imaging department of the Peking University Shenzhen Hospital.

Besides the MRI instrument, the SIAT has also developed non-invasive ultrasound elastography that can provide early screening for liver and breast diseases. Major ultrasound neuromodulation devices developed to provide treatment for Parkinson, epilepsy, and Alzheimer's disease have also begun clinical trials, according to the China Central Television.

The success of the SIAT in crashing through technological bottlenecks and deploying them in commercial environments is a combination of governmental input and early stage industrial integration. 

In 2022, the institute has received a total of 3.3 billion yuan in funding, 17 percent from fixed funds from governmental departments and the remaining 83 percent from close industrial cooperation, according to the CCTV report . 

The researchers and entrepreneurs are often based in the same building, the Shenzhen Engineering Biological Industry Innovation Center, where they are able to discuss new products or developments. "The working mode definitely removes distance between researchers and market needs. Alike neighbors, researchers and entrepreneurs can talk and share ideas," said Guo Wanda, the executive head of the SIAT.


Global Times