HISTO-MRI · Project

Cellular-Resolution MRI That Sees Individual Cells Without Cutting Tissue

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Imagine if an MRI scanner could zoom in so close that you could see individual cells inside a living body — the way a microscope sees a tissue sample on a slide, but without removing any tissue at all. Right now, MRI gives you blurry pictures compared to what pathologists see under a microscope. This project built a completely different kind of MRI machine — one that fires ultra-fast magnetic pulses — to push resolution down to the micron level, roughly the size of a single human cell. They proved it works by imaging a mouse brain and seeing individual neurons.

By the numbers

EUR 3,216,250

EU funding for R&D

consortium partners across 4 countries

micron

target imaging resolution (individual cell level)

hardware prototypes delivered (magnet, power supply, integrated PoC)

total project deliverables

40%

industry participation ratio in consortium

The business problem

What needed solving

Current MRI technology cannot see individual cells inside living tissue — doctors must cut out tissue samples and examine them under a microscope to get cellular-level detail. This means invasive biopsies, delayed diagnoses, and destroyed tissue samples. For preclinical research, it means sacrificing lab animals at every checkpoint instead of monitoring them alive over time.

The solution

What was built

The team built three key prototypes: a full magnet system using additive manufacturing for coils that handle extreme currents and frequencies, a high-frequency pulsed power supply based on semiconductor switches, and a complete proof-of-concept system integrating all components. They validated the technology by imaging a mouse brain at neuron-level resolution.

Audience

Who needs this

MRI scanner manufacturers (Siemens Healthineers, Philips, GE Healthcare, Canon Medical)Contract research organizations running preclinical imaging studiesNeuroscience research institutes needing non-invasive brain imaging at cellular resolutionPower electronics companies seeking high-frequency pulsed power supply applicationsAdditive manufacturing companies exploring precision magnet coil production

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Medical Imaging Equipment

enterprise

Target: MRI scanner manufacturers and medical device companies

If you are an MRI equipment manufacturer dealing with the resolution ceiling of conventional MRI technology — this project developed a proof-of-concept High Frequency Pulsed MRI system with micron-level resolution. The consortium built a full magnet system prototype plus a high-frequency pulsed power supply prototype, validated by imaging a mouse brain at the neuron level. Licensing or co-developing this technology could give you a next-generation product line for pathology and oncology markets.

Preclinical Research Services

mid-size

Target: Contract research organizations and pharmaceutical R&D labs

If you are a preclinical research organization spending millions on tissue biopsies and histology for drug trials — this project built technology that can visualize living tissue at cellular resolution without removing samples. The proof of concept demonstrated neuron-level imaging in a mouse brain. This could dramatically cut the number of animals sacrificed in studies and speed up your imaging workflows.

High-Performance Electronics

SME

Target: Power electronics and semiconductor switch manufacturers

If you are a power electronics company looking for next-generation pulsed power supply applications — this project developed a prototype high-frequency pulsed power supply using semiconductor switches, designed to drive magnet coils at very high currents and very high frequencies. The additive manufacturing method for magnet coils they developed could also open new product lines for your precision manufacturing division.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to access or license this technology?

The project received EUR 3,216,250 in EU funding across 5 partners, which gives a sense of the R&D investment required. Licensing terms would need to be negotiated directly with the coordinator (CSIC, Spain). As a publicly funded research organization, they typically offer licensing at reasonable rates for commercial partners.

Can this technology scale to full-size human scanners?

The current proof of concept demonstrated mouse brain imaging at neuron-level resolution. Scaling to human-size scanners would require significant further engineering of the magnet system, pulsed power supply, and data processing algorithms. The 3 prototype deliverables provide a foundation, but clinical-scale deployment is still multiple development cycles away.

What is the IP situation — can we license the key patents?

The project was funded under Horizon 2020 RIA, which means IP belongs to the partners who generated it. The coordinator CSIC (Spanish National Research Council) would be the primary contact for licensing discussions. With 2 industry partners already in the consortium, some IP may be co-owned or pre-licensed.

What regulatory pathway would this need for medical use?

Any clinical MRI system would need to go through CE marking (EU MDR) and FDA 510(k) or De Novo pathways. Since this is a fundamentally new imaging technology — not an incremental improvement — expect a longer regulatory timeline. Based on available project data, no regulatory submissions have been made yet.

How long before this could be used in a clinical or commercial setting?

The project closed in March 2021 with a working proof of concept. Based on the prototype stage of the 3 demo deliverables, a realistic timeline to clinical use would be 8-12 years, factoring in scale-up engineering, preclinical validation, and regulatory approval. Preclinical research applications could come sooner.

What data processing infrastructure does this require?

The project developed new pulse sequencing and computer algorithms to handle what they describe as an enormous amount of data generated by high-frequency pulsed MRI. Based on available project data, specific hardware or compute requirements are not detailed, but expect significant data processing demands compared to conventional MRI.

Consortium

Who built it

The HISTO-MRI consortium is led by CSIC, Spain's largest public research body, and includes 5 partners across 4 countries (Germany, Denmark, Spain, Netherlands). With 2 industry partners and 1 SME, the 40% industry ratio is solid for what is fundamentally a deep-tech project. The mix of 2 research organizations, 1 university, and 2 industry players suggests the science is backed by partners who understand manufacturing and commercialization. The multi-country spread across major European research hubs (DE, NL, ES, DK) indicates access to top-tier MRI physics and power electronics talent.

AGENCIA ESTATAL CONSEJO SUPERIOR DE INVESTIGACIONES CIENTIFICASCoordinator · ES
ACADEMISCH ZIEKENHUIS LEIDENparticipant · NL

How to reach the team

CSIC (Agencia Estatal Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas), Spain — contact through their technology transfer office (VATC)

Order a report on this consortium See AGENCIA ESTATAL CONSEJO SUPERIOR DE INVESTIGACIONES CIENTIFICAS profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want an introduction to the HISTO-MRI team to discuss licensing or co-development? SciTransfer can arrange a direct meeting with the right people at CSIC.

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