Imricor and Philips launch commercial iMR lab solution for MR-guided cardiac care
Imricor Medical Systems (ASX: IMR) and Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) have launched a combined Interventional MR (iMR) lab solution for advanced MR-guided cardiac interventions. The offering is commercially available now in CE-marked markets, with selected United States configurations also available.
The solution will be showcased at ESC Congress 2026 in Munich this weekend. For investors, the launch marks a shift for Imricor from technology development into a commercialised, combined route to market alongside a global MR imaging leader.
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What the combined iMR lab solution delivers
The integrated, purpose-built offering brings together capital systems, consumables and imaging capabilities from both companies into a single interventional environment. Its core components are:
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Philips’ 1.5T BlueSeal helium-free MR platform and interventional workflow capabilities
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Imricor’s NorthStar®, Advantage-MR® and other capital systems
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Imricor’s portfolio of single-use catheters and interventional tools
The first commercially available configuration is designed for cardiac interventions, including cardiac electrophysiology procedures. This enables MR-based visualisation and guidance in a purpose-built interventional environment.
By positioning its technology within a combined solution alongside one of the world’s leading providers of MR imaging systems, Imricor gains a broader route to market.
Understanding interventional MR — and why it matters to investors
Most cardiac procedures today are guided by x-ray fluoroscopy. Interventional MR takes a different approach, bringing real-time magnetic resonance imaging directly into the procedure room.
Imricor Chair, President and CEO Steve Wedan framed the concept clearly: “With interventional MR, the idea is not to move procedures into diagnostic MRI suites, but rather to bring MR imaging into the procedure room.”
The potential benefit lies in MR’s superior soft-tissue imaging, achieved without the ionising radiation associated with x-ray guidance. This addresses a large and currently underserved clinical need. Commercialisation with Philips is positioned to accelerate clinical adoption of what could become a new standard of care in interventional cardiology.
A partnership advancing since 2012
The launch represents a milestone in the longstanding Philips-Imricor partnership, which has advanced since 2012 from joint technology development to the commercial launch of a purpose-built iMR lab solution.
It follows the Philips Third Party Declaration of Compatibility that Imricor announced earlier this month, reinforcing the technical foundation underpinning the combined offering.
The Philips Third Party Declaration of Compatibility cleared Imricor’s full iMR product suite across five Philips MR systems and four system upgrades, removing the final internal Philips barrier to commercial NorthStar-guided procedures at Philips-based hospital sites.
Ioannis Panagiotelis, PhD — Business Leader, Magnetic Resonance, Philips
“Cardiac electrophysiology is just the beginning. This iMR lab solution represents an important step in Philips’ strategy to advance MRI across the care continuum, creating a platform that can expand into additional clinical areas while helping clinicians deliver the best possible care for their patients.”
For investors, endorsement from a global partner of this scale signals a long-term strategic commitment rather than a one-off commercial arrangement.
Investment thesis: a scalable commercial platform
The launch strengthens the investment case by converting years of joint development into an available, combined product. It also establishes a foundation for future expansion, subject to clinical, regulatory and commercial development.
| Element | Available now | Growth path |
|---|---|---|
| Clinical application | Cardiac interventions incl. electrophysiology | Additional iMR-guided procedures (subject to clinical, regulatory and commercial development) |
| Market access | CE-marked markets; selected U.S. configurations | Further U.S. configurations and other geographies (subject to regulatory clearances) |
| Commercial model | Co-branded Philips solution | Foundation for expansion across the care continuum |
Wedan characterised the significance of the milestone directly.
Steve Wedan — Chair, President and CEO, Imricor
“Pairing Philips’ world-class 1.5T MR platform with Imricor’s exclusive portfolio of advanced iMR systems and interventional tools creates the world’s first state-of-the-art high-performance iMR lab solution.”
What comes next
The roadmap ahead offers a series of near-term and longer-term milestones for investors to monitor:
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ESC Congress 2026 showcase in Munich this weekend
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Immediate commercial availability in CE-marked markets
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Further U.S. configurations anticipated, subject to regulatory clearances
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Expansion into additional iMR-guided procedures over time
Imricor’s products are currently approved in the European Union, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and New Zealand. In the United States, the NorthStar Mapping System and the Vision-MR Diagnostic Catheter are cleared for use.
No revenue, unit or timing figures were disclosed alongside the launch. The multiple regulatory and commercial milestones outlined provide a pipeline of potential catalysts as the combined solution moves toward broader clinical adoption.
For investors exploring the clinical pipeline sitting behind the cardiac electrophysiology commercial launch, our deep-dive into the VISABL-VT trial expansion covers how Imricor is building the evidence base for MRI-guided ablation beyond atrial flutter and into the larger ventricular tachycardia addressable market.
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