Philips clears Imricor for commercial iMR deployment on its MR systems
Imricor Medical Systems (ASX: IMR) has announced that Philips Medical Systems Nederland B.V. has issued a Third Party Product Compatibility Declaration covering the company’s interventional magnetic resonance (iMR) products for use with Philips magnetic resonance (MR) systems.
According to the announcement dated 7 August 2026 (Melbourne) and 6 August 2026 (Minneapolis), the declaration represents the last step within Philips to allow Imricor’s NorthStar mapping and guidance system to connect and operate in a commercial clinical setting with Philips MR scanners.
Philips is described as one of the world’s largest medical imaging companies. The clearance covers five initial MR systems and four MR system upgrades, all running software versions R12.1.1 or greater.
Both companies may now collaborate to enable NorthStar-guided procedures at iMR facilities using Philips MR systems. Imricor and Philips are set to co-sponsor iMR sessions at the ESC Congress in Munich in August.
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What the compatibility declaration covers
The declaration follows testing of Imricor’s iMR products alongside Philips MR systems. It completes the final internal Philips step required for Imricor’s technology to operate commercially with these scanners.
The Imricor products tested alongside Philips MR systems include:
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NorthStar® mapping and guidance system
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Advantage-MR® system
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Vision-MR® Ablation Catheters 2.0 (32mm and 42mm)
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Vision-MR Ablation Cable Set 2.0
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Vision MR Diagnostic Catheter
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Vision-MR Diagnostic Cable 2.0
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Vision-MR Dispersive Electrode
The following table summarises the scope of the declaration.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| MR systems covered | Five initial MR systems |
| System upgrades | Four MR system upgrades |
| Software requirement | Versions R12.1.1 or greater |
| Equipment type | Capital equipment and consumables |
Understanding interventional MR (iMR) — and why this matters
Interventional MR refers to performing medical procedures under real-time MR guidance rather than x-ray fluoroscopy. According to Imricor, this approach takes advantage of MR’s superior imaging capabilities, aiming to make procedures better, safer, and more cost effective.
Within these procedures, NorthStar functions as the mapping and guidance system central to navigating and treating patients. It sits at the core of Imricor’s iMR platform.
For investors, compatibility with a major imaging original equipment manufacturer (OEM) such as Philips expands the pool of hospitals and scanners where Imricor’s technology can be deployed commercially. This enlarges the potential addressable market by opening access to sites equipped with Philips MR systems.
The company has not disclosed specific market size figures associated with the declaration.
First deployment sites and the Philips collaboration
With the compatibility statement in place, Imricor can now move to install its latest technology, including NorthStar, at Philips iMR sites. The company highlighted the very important German Heart Center of Charité in Berlin, under the direction of Professors Dr Gerhard Hindricks and Dr Sebastian Kelle.
Steve Wedan, Chair & CEO
“Today’s compatibility statement from Philips means we can move to install the latest Imricor technology, including NorthStar, at Philips iMR sites… We are thrilled to complete this final step with Philips and progress iMR procedures at Philips-based iMR sites.”
Imricor and Philips partner at ESC Congress 2026
Beyond the deployment pathway, both companies are partnering at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress in Munich to co-sponsor the ESC Interventional MR Tutorials, described by Imricor as the world’s leading cardiology meeting.
Session details include:
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Saturday 29 August at 11am and Sunday 30 August at 2pm
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Led by Professor Steven Chamuleau, head of cardiology at the Amsterdam University Medical Center
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Format of a 30-minute presentation followed by 15 minutes of Q&A
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Topics covering how to set up an iMR lab, real-world MR-guided EP and ablation experiences, and other iMR cardiovascular interventions such as cardiac catheterisation
The company noted that commitment to interventional MR from a company of Philips’ scale signals product maturity and market opportunity.
Nick Twohy, VP Marketing & Business Development
“…this level of commitment to interventional MR from a medtech giant such as Philips speaks volumes about the maturity and readiness of iMR products and technology, as well as the size of the opportunity we all see in front of us.”
What this means for Imricor investors
The declaration removes the final internal Philips barrier to enabling commercial NorthStar-guided procedures at Philips-based iMR sites. For Imricor, this broadens the base of scanners and facilities where its technology can be deployed in a commercial clinical setting.
For context, Imricor’s products are approved in the European Union, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and New Zealand, while NorthStar is cleared in the US. This existing regulatory footprint underpins the company’s commercial reach.
The NorthStar FDA clearance granted in January 2026 established the system as the first and only MRI-native 3D cardiac mapping platform approved in the US, underpinning the commercial credibility that now supports its deployment across both US and Philips-based European sites.
Near-term milestones include the planned installation of Imricor’s latest technology at the German Heart Center of Charité in Berlin and the co-sponsored tutorials at the ESC Congress in Munich in August. Investors will be watching the pace of installation and adoption across Philips-based iMR sites as these developments progress.
Imricor’s US commercial launch in July 2026 saw Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego become the first American customer for NorthStar, with US revenue from that sale alone expected to exceed the company’s entire aggregate 2025 European revenue.
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