7 Tesla MRI approved for clinical use within Amsterdam UMC
19 December 2024Since last week, the 7 Tesla MRI scanner at the Spinoza Centre has been approved for clinical use by Amsterdam UMC. This makes it the first, and currently the only, clinically certified 7 Tesla MRI scanner in the Netherlands.
Standard MRI scanners operate at magnetic field strengths of 1.5 Tesla or 3 Tesla. In comparison, this ultra-high field 7 Tesla MRI scanner can provide brain scans with higher resolutions or enhanced contrasts of small brain structures, such as deep brain nuclei or thin blood vessels.
The Department of Neurosurgery of the Amsterdam UMC has been making use of this advantage in their clinical research for several years, particularly to precisely identify target areas for deep brain stimulation (DBS). In multiple publications, they have demonstrated that the higher resolution scans of the 7 Tesla MRI make it easier to pinpoint brain targets, such as the subthalamic nucleus, which is often used as a DBS target in Parkinson’s disease.
Thanks to the new certification, these 7 Tesla scans can now be offered as standard care for DBS patients at Amsterdam UMC. Furthermore, this certification makes the 7 Tesla MRI immediately available for other neurological applications, potentially benefiting patients with conditions such as MS, epilepsy, brain tumors, or neurovascular disorders.
For more information about the 7 Tesla scanner, visit this page or contact Thijs de Buck at