Philips unveils BlueSeal Horizon, industry’s first helium-free 3.0T MRI platform

Rhea-AI Summary

Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG) on November 30, 2025 unveiled BlueSeal Horizon, an industry-first helium-free 3.0T MRI platform presented at RSNA 2025. The platform pairs a 3.0T helium-free magnet (with 7 liters permanently enclosed) with AI-powered workflow and imaging tools.

Philips cites prior BlueSeal scale: >2,000 1.5T installs and >6 million liters of liquid helium saved (compared with prior-generation magnets). Key AI features announced include SmartSpeed Precise (up to 3x faster scans; up to 80% sharper images), SmartPlanning (automated planning in as little as 30 seconds), real-time scan preview powered by NVIDIA, and SmartReading for cloud-based reading and reporting.

Disclosure: BlueSeal Horizon is a work in progress, not available in any jurisdiction and not for sale in the USA; future availability is not ensured.

Positive

• Announced helium-free 3.0T MRI platform on Nov 30, 2025
• Philips track record: >2,000 BlueSeal 1.5T installs
• Claimed helium savings: >6,000,000 liters versus prior magnet
• SmartSpeed Precise: up to 3x faster scans and 80% sharper images
• SmartPlanning: automated planning in as little as 30 seconds

Negative

• Work in progress: BlueSeal Horizon not available in any jurisdiction
• Not for sale in the USA; future availability not ensured
• Platform still contains 7 liters of helium in the cryogenic circuit

Key Figures

Magnet strength: 3.0T BlueSeal installs: 2,000 systems Helium saved: 6 million liters +5 more

8 metrics

Magnet strength 3.0T Field strength of new helium-free MRI magnet

BlueSeal installs 2,000 systems 1.5T BlueSeal MRI systems installed worldwide since 2018

Helium saved 6 million liters Liquid helium saved versus 1500-liter previous generation magnets

Enclosed helium 7 liters Helium permanently enclosed in the cryogenic circuit

Legacy helium load 1500 liters Helium volume in previous-generation magnet used for comparison

SmartPlanning time 30 seconds Automated planning achievable in as little as this time

Scan speed gain 3 times faster SmartSpeed Precise scan speed versus reference imaging

Image sharpness gain 80% sharper SmartSpeed Precise image sharpness versus Philips SENSE/C-SENSE

Market Reality Check

Price: $28.90 Vol: Volume 782,772 versus 20-...

normal vol

$28.90 Last Close

Volume Volume 782,772 versus 20-day average 642,234, indicating modestly elevated trading interest ahead of this AI-driven MRI launch. normal

Technical Shares are trading above the 200-day MA, with price at 27.01 versus MA 25.72, reflecting a pre-existing upward bias into this announcement.

Peers on Argus

Peer moves in Medical Devices were mixed, with names like DXCM up 1.41% while ot...

Peer moves in Medical Devices were mixed, with names like DXCM up 1.41% while others such as STE and SNN declined. This pattern supports today’s move in PHG as company-specific rather than a broad sector rotation.

Historical Context

5 past events · Latest: Dec 04 (Positive)

Pattern 5 events

Date	Event	Sentiment	Move	Catalyst
Dec 04	Outlook reiteration	Positive	-4.9%	Reiterated 2026 outlook with expectations for growth and margin expansion.
Dec 01	AI nav expansion	Positive	+0.6%	Expanded commercial availability of LumiGuide AI 3D navigation solution.
Nov 24	Imaging software launch	Positive	+0.4%	Launch of web-based diagnostic viewer for fast, secure imaging access.
Nov 19	AI partnership	Positive	-1.6%	Extended Cortechs.ai partnership to embed quantitative neuroimaging analytics.
Nov 17	AI procedure assist	Positive	-2.4%	Introduced DeviceGuide AI tracking to assist mitral valve repair procedures.

Pattern Detected

Recent Philips news skewed positive in tone but often met with muted or negative price reactions, indicating a tendency for good news to be partially faded.

Recent Company History

Over the last few weeks, Philips has focused on imaging and AI-driven innovation. On Nov 17 and Nov 19, it announced AI-assisted heart valve repair support and an extended neuroimaging partnership, both followed by modest share declines. Product launches on Nov 24 and AI navigation expansion on Dec 1 saw small gains. A reiteration of the 2026 outlook on Dec 4 coincided with a sharper selloff. Today’s helium-free 3.0T MRI platform fits this ongoing strategy of advanced, AI-enabled imaging solutions.

Market Pulse Summary

This announcement highlights Philips’ push into advanced, AI-enabled imaging with a helium-free 3.0T...

Analysis

This announcement highlights Philips’ push into advanced, AI-enabled imaging with a helium-free 3.0T MRI platform that aims to cut helium dependence, simplify site requirements, and speed workflows. It extends prior AI initiatives in radiology by promising up to threefold faster scans and up to 80% sharper images. Investors may track future regulatory clearances, commercial launch timing, adoption relative to existing 1.5T BlueSeal systems, and how AI tools impact clinical efficiency and margins.

Key Terms

3.0T mri, liquid helium, cryogenic circuit, denoising, +3 more

7 terms

3.0T mri medical

"an entirely new 3.0T MRI innovation platform that includes the industry’s first"

A 3.0T MRI is a medical imaging machine that uses a strong 3.0-tesla magnetic field—about 60,000 times stronger than Earth’s magnetic field—to create highly detailed pictures of organs, tissues and the brain. For investors, it matters because higher-field scanners typically offer clearer images and faster scans that can improve diagnostic accuracy, attract referrals, support advanced procedures, and command higher prices, but they also carry higher purchase, siting and maintenance costs.

liquid helium technical

"installed worldwide, saving more than 6 million liters of liquid helium to date"

Liquid helium is helium gas cooled until it becomes a super-cold liquid, used like an ultra-low-temperature coolant for devices that must operate near absolute zero — for example MRI scanners, particle accelerators, and quantum computers. Investors care because its scarcity, production cost and transport challenges can create supply bottlenecks or price swings that affect companies relying on expensive cooling equipment and can drive capital spending or operational risk across healthcare, tech, and research sectors.

cryogenic circuit technical

"7 liters of helium is permanently enclosed in the cryogenic circuit"

A cryogenic circuit is an electronic or superconducting circuit built to run at extremely low temperatures so it has far less electrical resistance and background noise than ordinary electronics. For investors this matters because these circuits enable high-performance technologies — for example faster quantum processors or much more sensitive medical and scientific instruments — while also creating extra costs and engineering challenges around specialized cooling, manufacturing and scale-up that affect commercial timelines and capital needs.

denoising technical

"enable faster 3D image reconstruction, denoising, and artifact reduction, so radiologists"

Denoising is the process of removing irrelevant or misleading random variations from data so the underlying pattern becomes clearer, like wiping a smudged window to see the view. For investors, denoising makes price charts, financial reports, or medical measurements easier to interpret, reducing false alarms and improving the reliability of models and forecasts used to value assets or assess risk.

artifact reduction technical

"3D image reconstruction, denoising, and artifact reduction, so radiologists can preview"

Artifact reduction is a set of techniques in imaging and signal processing that remove or lessen false marks, streaks, or distortions that appear in scans or pictures but are not actually part of the subject. For investors, better artifact reduction means more reliable diagnostic results, fewer repeat procedures, lower costs and stronger regulatory and market competitiveness—like cleaning a fogged camera lens so pictures are clearer and more trustworthy.

cloud-based technical

"This tool will integrate cloud-based AI reading and reporting tools directly"

Software, data or services that run on remote computers accessed over the internet instead of on a user’s own device; think of renting storage, apps and computing power in someone else’s warehouse rather than buying and maintaining the gear yourself. Investors care because cloud-based models can lower a company’s upfront costs, speed product updates, scale quickly with demand and create recurring revenue, all of which affect cash flow, growth prospects and valuation.

ai-powered technical

"combines breakthroughs in hardware with AI-powered software, eliminating the trade-off"

"AI-powered" describes technology that uses artificial intelligence to perform tasks, make decisions, or analyze information automatically. It’s similar to having a highly skilled assistant that can learn from data, recognize patterns, and improve over time, helping to make processes faster and more accurate. For investors, this means better insights and more efficient operations, potentially leading to smarter investment choices.

AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.

November 30, 2025

Major technology breakthrough combines advanced AI for clinical insights and accelerated workflow in new premium 3.0T MRI platform [1]

Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and Chicago, USA – Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA), a global leader in health technology, today unveiled BlueSeal Horizon [1], an entirely new 3.0T MRI innovation platform that includes the industry’s first helium-free 3.0T magnet at RSNA 2025. A pivotal advance in MRI innovation, helium-free [2] 3.0T is a major scientific achievement set to have significant impact for health providers and patients.

3.0T MRI systems are the most advanced MRI magnet technology in widespread use, providing high-resolution imaging for research and the most complex clinical cases. These systems excel in capturing the most intricate workings of the body, especially the brain, blood vessels, muscles and joints. Philips has led the development of helium-free MRI since 2018, with more than 2,000 of its 1.5T BlueSeal MRI systems installed worldwide, saving more than 6 million liters of liquid helium to date [3]. The company is now bringing the same benefits to 3.0T MRI, eliminating the need for helium refills and vent pipes – reducing siting complexity, installation time, and total lifecycle risk.

“With BlueSeal Horizon we’re freeing MRI from dependence on a valuable resource the world can’t replace and bringing advanced diagnostic capabilities to people previously out of reach,” said Ioannis Panagiotelis, PhD, Business Leader, MR at Philips. “But more than that, BlueSeal Horizon is an entirely new 3.0T innovation platform that combines breakthroughs in hardware with AI-powered software, eliminating the trade-off between imaging speed and precision and improving outcomes for both practitioners and patients.”

Next-generation clinical AI on the Philips BlueSeal Horizon platform
Philips will bring next-generation clinical AI into everyday practice with the introduction of its new BlueSeal Horizon MR platform [1], simplifying workflows, enhancing diagnostic precision, and expanding access to advanced imaging. Key AI-powered innovations will include:

SmartPlanning: Expanding to include cardiac imaging, this AI-driven feature will automate time-consuming planning steps. What once required multiple manual actions can now be completed in a single click, achieving automated planning in as little as 30 seconds.

Real-time Scan Preview: Powered by NVIDIA’s accelerated computing platform and Open Models (Segment and Generate), this innovation aims to enable faster 3D image reconstruction, denoising, and artifact reduction, so radiologists can preview scans, adjust image quality and speed parameters in real time, and optimize workflow efficiency for more timely diagnosis.

SmartSpeed Precise: Dual AI technology will enable scans up to three times faster and images up to 80% sharper [4], helping clinicians capture more detail in less time.

SmartReading: This tool will integrate cloud-based AI reading and reporting tools directly on the MR system, specifically for neurology and oncology applications.

Together, these innovations will bring advanced clinical AI to the point of care, helping radiology teams achieve faster, sharper, and more consistent imaging results, supporting confident, first-time-right diagnosis.

[1] 3.0T BlueSeal Horizon is ‘Work in Progress’ and not available in any jurisdiction. It is not for sale in the USA. Its future availability cannot be ensured.
[2] Helium-free operations. 7 liters of helium is permanently enclosed in the cryogenic circuit.
[3] The amount of liquid helium saved is a calculation compared to a previous generation magnet with 1500 liters of helium.
[4] Compared to Philips SENSE/ C-SENSE imaging SmartSpeed Precise is already available on current 3.0T systems.

For further information, please contact:

Jayme Maniatis
Philips Global External Relations
Tel. : +1 617 894 8368
E-mail: jayme.maniatis@philips.com

About Royal Philips

Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a leading health technology company focused on improving people’s health and well-being through meaningful innovation. Philips’ patient- and people-centric innovation leverages advanced technology and deep clinical and consumer insights to deliver personal health solutions for consumers and professional health solutions for healthcare providers and their patients in the hospital and the home.

Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company is a leader in diagnostic imaging, ultrasound, image-guided therapy, monitoring and enterprise informatics, as well as in personal health. Philips generated 2024 sales of EUR 18 billion and employs approximately 67,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. News about Philips can be found at www.philips.com/newscenter.

Attachment

• BlueSeal Horizon, industry’s first helium-free 3.0T MRI platform

FAQ

What did Royal Philips announce about BlueSeal Horizon (PHG) on November 30, 2025?

Philips unveiled BlueSeal Horizon, an AI-enabled helium-free 3.0T MRI platform shown at RSNA 2025.

Is the Philips BlueSeal Horizon 3.0T MRI available to buy in the USA (PHG)?

No; BlueSeal Horizon is a work in progress and is explicitly not for sale in the USA.

How much helium does BlueSeal Horizon use compared with prior magnets (PHG)?

The platform is described as helium-free operation with 7 liters permanently enclosed in the cryogenic circuit versus prior magnets using ~1500 liters.

What AI performance claims did Philips make for BlueSeal Horizon (PHG)?

Philips announced SmartSpeed Precise (up to 3x faster scans and up to 80% sharper images), SmartPlanning (~30 seconds automated planning), real-time preview, and SmartReading.

How many BlueSeal MRI systems has Philips installed and what helium savings are claimed?

Philips cites >2,000 BlueSeal 1.5T installs and >6,000,000 liters of liquid helium saved compared with prior-generation magnets.