Royal Philips and Imricor Medical Systems have announced a new Interventional MR (iMR) lab solution built around Philips’ 1.5T MRI platform and Imricor’s MR-compatible electrophysiology systems and consumables, aimed at enabling MR-guided workflows for cardiac intervention.
The companies said the first commercially available configuration combines Philips’ 1.5T MRI platform with Imricor’s NorthStar iMR mapping and guidance system, Advantage-MR EP Recorder/Stimulator and Vision-MR electrophysiology catheters. The setup is designed to support real-time catheter tracking, electroanatomical mapping and assessment of lesion formation and treatment response during procedures within an MR environment.
The announcement positions the system as an alternative to cardiac ablation procedures that typically rely on X-ray fluoroscopy, which provides limited soft-tissue visualisation and exposes patients and clinical teams to ionising radiation. The companies said MR guidance could allow more direct tissue visualisation during intervention and support therapy decisions during the procedure.
Philips said the iMR lab solution builds on its cardiac 1.5T MRI platform and includes its Cardiac MR Suite, featuring SmartHeart AI-powered cardiac planning and cardiac imaging applications. The solution also uses Philips’ BlueSeal helium-free MRI technology, which the company said reduces siting complexity and may enable installations closer to cardiology departments.
Imricor founder and CEO Steve Wedan said the aim of interventional MR is to bring MR imaging into the procedure room rather than moving procedures into diagnostic MRI suites. Philips Magnetic Resonance business leader Ioannis Panagiotelis said the collaboration was intended to expand the role of cardiac MRI from diagnosis into treatment settings.
The iMR lab solution is set to be showcased at ESC Congress 2026 in Munich. The companies said it is commercially available immediately in CE-marked markets and, in some configurations, the United States. They added that further Imricor configurations are expected to become available in the US and other markets, subject to regulatory clearances.
Philips said it has issued a Third-Party Product Compatibility Declaration for Imricor’s iMR equipment and consumables. Imricor noted that NorthStar and the Vision-MR Diagnostic Catheter are commercially available in the US, while other Imricor products are not yet cleared or approved for sale in the US.
