Democratizing Healthcare: Open source MRI for everyone

"In the field of medical technology, the pursuit of innovation and accessibility has never been more important. Conventional MRI scanners are prohibitively expensive, limiting their availability to financially strong hospitals and clinics. This leaves behind less financially strong countries with inadequate medical equipment.

The high cost and complexity of traditional MRI systems present significant barriers to access. Proprietary technologies often lead to vendor lock-in, expensive maintenance and limited adaptability, especially in resource-poor areas.

Open source technologies and resources in the field of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) offer a compelling solution to these challenges. By making software, data and hardware designs freely available, open source fosters a culture of sharing and collaboration. This approach lowers costs and ensures that key medical technologies can be adapted to the needs of different healthcare environments.

As a result, open source techniques and resources in the field of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have grown significantly in recent years. This trend began with software and data being released as open source, and more recently, open source hardware designs have become increasingly available. These developments towards a culture of sharing and the establishment of non-exclusive global collaborations have already improved the reproducibility and reusability of code and designs while providing a more inclusive approach, especially for low-income countries...."