Hanoi Medical University Hospital inaugurated Southeast Asia's first 5-Tesla (5T) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system on Monday.
Hospital director Professor Nguyen Lan Hieu said the system would be an important step in medical technology and healthcare modernisation. He said it also supports the plan to develop Hanoi Medical University as a leading research university in the region.
The uMR Jupiter system combines a 5T magnetic field with a high-performance gradient system and supports whole-body imaging. It can image the brain and nervous system, musculoskeletal system, abdomen, cardiovascular system, pelvic region and blood vessels. Compared with the 1.5T and 3T scanners widely in use, it provides a higher signal-to-noise ratio and improved tissue contrast.
For complex clinical cases that are difficult to assess with conventional MRI, 5T technology can provide additional information for visualising subtle lesions, vascular structures and tissue characteristics. This gives physicians more information for clinical assessment.
Professor Hieu said the new equipment would improve the quality of high-tech medical care.
"Its higher resolution enables earlier detection of precancerous lesions, micro-epileptic foci and early-stage neurodegenerative conditions. The equipment also helps attract patients seeking high-tech medical care and reduce the number of Vietnamese people travelling abroad for treatment," Hieu added.
At the ceremony, Deputy Minister of Health Vu Manh Ha said the ministry would prioritise strategic areas including big-data mapping, digital transformation, high-end technologies for early diagnosis and Institute-University models for training highly qualified medical staff.
Ha said the hospital's investment in the 5T MRI system aligned with these priorities. It supports plans for a research centre of excellence, updated practical training and improved high-tech medical care.
The hospital, the Vietnam Society of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine and United Imaging Healthcare held a scientific symposium called "See the Unseen". More than 400 delegates and diagnostic imaging specialists from Vietnam, China and Türkiye attended.
The symposium covered clinical applications of diagnostic imaging for cerebral blood vessels, neurology and cardiology, as well as developments in ultra-high-field MRI. Participants shared clinical experience and research findings.
The hospital and United Imaging Healthcare signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen cooperation in the clinical use of 5T MRI, research innovation and professional training.
The parties also plan to establish a training and research centre for 5-Tesla magnetic resonance imaging and artificial intelligence to support the exchange of clinical experience, research resources and professional knowledge.
Sources: Viet Nam News
