Time Medical launches India’s first low-field TOF MRI for nationwide aneurysm screening

India presents one of the world’s largest untapped opportunities for neurovascular screening

Time Medical International Ventures (India) announced the launch of a groundbreaking low-field Time-of-Flight (TOF) MRI platform designed to transform aneurysm screening across India. Developed in collaboration with renowned neurosurgeon Dr. Iype Cherian, the new system marks a major step forward in making preventive neurovascular imaging accessible, affordable, and scalable nationwide.

Unruptured intracranial aneurysms are far more common than widely understood. Global research indicates that approximately 3.2 per cent of adults carry an aneurysm, translating to nearly 30 million people in India alone. Despite this high prevalence, most aneurysms remain undetected until rupture, leading to devastating consequences. Each year, between 85,000 and 115,000 Indians suffer a subarachnoid haemorrhage, most often between the ages of 40 and 60—the years during which individuals contribute most actively to their families, careers, and the national economy. Mortality from rupture ranges from 26 per cent to 45 per cent, and nearly half of all patients do not survive long enough to receive treatment. Survivors commonly experience long-term neurological disabilities that significantly impact quality of life.

India presents one of the world’s largest untapped opportunities for neurovascular screening. With more than 700 million people above the age of 40—the age at which aneurysm risk rises sharply—there exists a potential screening population of over 21 million individuals even at a conservative prevalence rate of 3 per cent. A planning norm of two MRI scanners per million population would provide India with the capacity to proactively screen a vast number of citizens. Early detection is the most effective strategy to reduce catastrophic ruptures, yet screening remains rare due to limited access to suitable imaging technologies.

Countries such as Japan, the United States, Korea, and many in Europe have demonstrated that nationwide screening significantly reduces rupture rates. Japan’s “Brain Dock” program, for example, identifies aneurysms in healthy adults at rates as high as 4.3 per cent, enabling timely intervention and preventing life-threatening emergencies. In India, however, existing screening tools present significant challenges. CT angiography involves radiation and contrast, making it unsuitable for population-wide screening, while high-field MRI systems are expensive, require helium, and are difficult to deploy in non-urban regions.

The new system from Time Medical India represents a transformative solution to these challenges. Built on a permanent-magnet low-field design, the platform eliminates helium dependency, consumes significantly less power, and requires minimal maintenance. Its optimized TOF sequence delivers high-quality vascular imaging in just six minutes, without radiation or contrast. This compact and cost-efficient design enables deployment in district hospitals, semi-urban clinics, and even mobile diagnostic units, bringing preventive aneurysm detection to millions who currently lack access to advanced imaging.

Artificial intelligence further strengthens the platform’s impact. Modern deep-learning models can detect aneurysms in TOF scans with more than 95 per cent sensitivity, enabling radiologists to supervise large imaging volumes through a hub-and-spoke teleradiology network. This AI-enabled workflow allows the screening program to scale efficiently, even in regions with limited specialist manpower.

Time Medical stated that the new system has been specifically engineered for scale, sustainability, and accessibility. It empowers smaller healthcare institutions to conduct high-value neurovascular screening at a cost structure that was previously unattainable, opening the door to preventive brain health for communities across India.

Commenting on the launch, Dr. Iype Cherian, Neurosurgeon at Parul University, said: “An aneurysm rupture is one of the most catastrophic neurological events, yet it is entirely preventable when detected early. Low-field MRI enables India to shift from reacting to emergencies to preventing them altogether.”

Svetlana, Director, Time Medical International Ventures (India), added: “The introduction of VEGA—a fully optimized, ready-to-deploy low-field TOF MRI platform—marks a significant milestone in making preventive neurovascular screening accessible at scale. VEGA has been purpose-built to deliver rapid, contrast-free TOF vascular imaging, supported by a permanent-magnet design that eliminates helium dependence and dramatically reduces operational costs. This combination of efficiency, affordability, and reliability makes VEGA ideal for deployment across district hospitals and semi-urban clinics. With VEGA, we are creating a pathway to earlier detection and proactive brain health, ensuring that communities everywhere can benefit from advanced neuroimaging without the traditional barriers of cost and infrastructure.”