BodyDMI · Project

MRI Upgrade That Maps Live Metabolism in the Body Without Surgery

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Imagine if your MRI scan could show not just pictures of your organs, but actually reveal how your body processes sugar and fat in real time — like a live dashboard for your metabolism. Right now, doctors mostly see shapes and sizes on an MRI; they can't watch the chemistry happening inside you. This team built special antenna hardware for powerful 7-tesla MRI machines that picks up signals from a safe, drinkable tracer (heavy water), letting doctors see metabolic activity in 3D. They tested it on liver metabolism in type 2 diabetes patients, opening a door for drug companies to actually see whether their treatments are working at a chemical level.

By the numbers

7 tesla

MRI field strength used for the imaging setup

45.7 MHz

Deuterium operating frequency at 7 tesla

Imaging mode for mapping body biochemistry

EUR 100,000

EU contribution for the project

3 partners

Consortium size, all based in the Netherlands

67%

Industry partner ratio in the consortium

Total project deliverables

The business problem

What needed solving

Pharmaceutical companies spending billions on metabolic disease drugs have no way to directly see whether their treatments are changing body chemistry during clinical trials — they rely on slow, indirect blood markers. Hospitals diagnosing diabetes, liver disease, and cancer treatment effects can only see structural changes on MRI long after metabolic damage has already progressed. There is no non-invasive imaging tool that maps live carbohydrate and lipid metabolism in the human body in real time.

The solution

What was built

The team constructed a deuterium RF body coil and deuterium receive array with integrated dipole hydrogen transceivers for 7-tesla MRI, plus adapted a 1-tesla RF amplifier for DMI use. This hardware enables 3D metabolic imaging of the body within a standard MRI scan session, demonstrated in a clinical feasibility study on hepatic metabolism in type 2 diabetes patients.

Audience

Who needs this

Pharmaceutical companies running clinical trials for diabetes and obesity drugsMRI coil and hardware manufacturers looking for next-generation imaging add-onsUniversity hospitals with 7-tesla MRI scanners seeking advanced diagnostic capabilitiesOncology clinics wanting earlier detection of cancer treatment responseContract research organizations (CROs) offering imaging endpoints for clinical trials

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Pharmaceutical & Drug Development

enterprise

Target: Mid-to-large pharma companies running clinical trials for metabolic disease drugs

If you are a pharmaceutical company running clinical trials for diabetes or obesity drugs — this project developed a 7-tesla MRI imaging setup that maps how the body processes carbohydrates and lipids in real time. Instead of waiting months for indirect blood markers, you could see whether your drug is changing liver metabolism during the trial itself. The consortium includes 2 commercial partners focused on bringing this to market.

Medical Imaging Equipment

enterprise

Target: MRI hardware and coil manufacturers

If you are an MRI equipment manufacturer looking to differentiate your 7-tesla product line — this project built and tested a deuterium RF body coil with integrated dipole hydrogen transceivers that enables metabolic imaging within a standard MRI session. The dual-coil design outperforms previous setups while adding metabolic scanning capability without compromising conventional MRI quality. This is a concrete hardware add-on you could license and integrate.

Clinical Diagnostics & Hospital Networks

enterprise

Target: University hospitals and diagnostic imaging centers with ultra-high-field MRI

If you run a diagnostic imaging center with a 7-tesla MRI scanner and want to offer advanced metabolic screening — this project demonstrated proof of concept for mapping liver carbohydrate and lipid metabolism non-invasively. Early detection of organ failure, drug toxicity, and cancer treatment effects becomes possible at a chemical level, well before visible structural changes. The technology was validated in a clinical feasibility study with type 2 diabetes patients.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to adopt this technology?

The project operated on a EUR 100,000 EU contribution as a Coordination and Support Action, covering hardware construction and feasibility testing. Actual deployment costs would depend on the price of the deuterium RF body coil, receive arrays, and the 1-tesla RF amplifier, plus requiring access to a 7-tesla MRI scanner. Based on available project data, per-unit hardware costs are not disclosed.

Can this scale to standard clinical MRI machines?

The current setup was built specifically for 7-tesla MRI scanners, which are ultra-high-field research machines not yet common in routine clinical settings. The deuterium frequency of 45.7 MHz at 7 tesla is specific to that field strength. Scaling to lower-field clinical MRI (1.5T or 3T) would require redesign, and the project data does not address this.

What is the IP and licensing situation?

The project involved 2 industry partners and 1 university medical center, all based in the Netherlands. The objective states that upon completion, DMI will be 'valorized by the commercial partners and embedded in clinical practice.' Based on available project data, specific patent filings or licensing terms are not disclosed, but commercial intent is clearly stated.

Has this been tested on real patients?

Yes. The third objective explicitly states applying DMI in a clinical feasibility study in type 2 diabetes patients. The project also aimed to demonstrate proof of concept for measuring hepatic carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. The project closed in May 2021, indicating these milestones were pursued within the funded period.

What medical conditions does this address beyond diabetes?

The project objective explicitly mentions detection of organ failure, drug toxicity, and effects of cancer treatment at much earlier stages than conventional imaging. The primary demonstration focused on metabolic diseases linked to the global obesity epidemic, but the underlying technology maps general body biochemistry.

How does this fit with existing hospital MRI workflows?

The coil design uses integrated dipole hydrogen transceivers, meaning conventional proton MRI and deuterium metabolic imaging can happen in the same scan session. This is a key practical advantage — hospitals would not need a separate scan slot. The patient drinks a deuterium-labeled compound orally, avoiding injections.

Consortium

Who built it

This is a compact, Netherlands-only consortium of 3 partners with a strong commercial lean: 67% industry ratio with 2 SMEs alongside one university medical center (UMC Utrecht). The EUR 100,000 budget signals this was a focused coordination action, not a large-scale R&D program. The tight structure — one academic hospital building the medical case, two commercial partners ready to bring it to market — is a good sign for a business buyer. UMC Utrecht is a top-tier research hospital with strong MRI capabilities. The commercial partners' involvement and the explicit objective to "valorize" the technology suggest that licensing or product development discussions are already underway or completed since the project closed in 2021.

UNIVERSITAIR MEDISCH CENTRUM UTRECHTCoordinator · NL
MR COILS BVparticipant · NL

How to reach the team

The coordinator is UMC Utrecht (Netherlands). Contact the MRI research department or visit metascan.nl/dmi for team details.

Order a report on this consortium See UNIVERSITAIR MEDISCH CENTRUM UTRECHT profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore licensing the DMI coil technology or partnering for clinical validation? SciTransfer can arrange a direct introduction to the research team and commercial partners.

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