Philips reaches 1,000 SmartSpeed Precise installations, advancing AI-powered MRI care

Philips reaches 1,000 SmartSpeed Precise installations, advancing AI-powered MRI care

Oct 14, 2026 | 3 minute read

MRI is one of the most powerful tools in modern medicine, used to support diagnosis and treatment planning. But demand for imaging continues to grow, while radiology teams face persistent pressure on time and capacity. Every minute saved in the scanning room can matter, helping teams make space for the next patient, reduce backlogs and focus on the care experience.

Philips has now reached 1,000 global installations of SmartSpeed Precise, its dual AI-powered technology designed to accelerate MR imaging while enhancing image quality. The milestone installation is at Unilabs Switzerland, where SmartSpeed Precise is now in use across 10 Philips MR systems.

Beyond the number, the milestone reflects the growing adoption of AI in routine MRI care, with SmartSpeed Precise now used in at least 95% of compatible clinical scanning on equipped systems worldwide, based on Philips Installed Base data. This demonstrates how clinical teams are putting AI to work in everyday practice to help manage demand while maintaining the image quality needed for clinical decision-making.

"Behind 1,000 SmartSpeed Precise installations are clinical teams finding ways to create more capacity so more patients can access MRI," said Ioannis Panagiotelis, PhD, Business Leader MRI at Philips. "At this scale, we are moving beyond the promise of AI to its practical use in routine MR care. In MR, faster is only meaningful when it comes with the image quality clinicians need to make confident clinical decisions."

How AI-powered MRI acceleration can increase scanning capacity

SmartSpeed Precise uses dual AI to accelerate MR imaging and reconstruct images. Faster MR imaging does not have to mean compromising image quality. SmartSpeed Precise combines scan acceleration with image reconstruction that can deliver images up to 80% sharper and enables scans to be completed up to three times faster compared with Philips SENSE imaging.* Together, these capabilities can help imaging teams make more efficient use of scanner time while delivering the high-quality images clinicians need to support clinical decision-making.

Based on Philips data, the company estimates that each system using SmartSpeed Precise can save an average of 215 hours of scanning time per year compared with Philips SENSE imaging.* Based on that average scanning-time saving, this represents the estimated potential capacity for approximately 624 additional MRI examinations per system annually, depending on local demand, staffing, scheduling and clinical practice.

Across 1,000 installations, those estimated savings represent approximately 215,000 hours of scanner time and the potential capacity for more than 624,000 additional MRI examinations annually.

For patients, greater scanning capacity may enable earlier MRI appointments and, potentially, support faster diagnoses. For radiology teams, it can provide flexibility to manage demand while continuing to deliver the high-quality imaging clinicians depend on.

- Pierre Bader, Head of Radiology, Unilabs Switzerland

"At Unilabs we are focused on giving every patient access to high-quality diagnostic imaging and the information clinicians need to make confident decisions," said Pierre Bader, Head of Radiology, Unilabs Switzerland. "SmartSpeed Precise helps our teams work more efficiently while improving image quality and exam speed, ultimately supporting better patient care and a better experience for both patients and staff."

Side-by-side lumbar spine MRI images comparing non-AI reconstruction with Philips SmartSpeed Precise dual AI reconstruction from a 57-second scan

What 1,000 installations show about AI adoption in MRI

Reaching 1,000 installations represents more than a product milestone. It reflects a growing community of clinicians, radiographers and healthcare organizations putting AI-powered MRI technology into routine clinical practice.

Their experience is helping demonstrate the practical value of combining faster imaging with high-quality images, supporting efficient use of scanner time, flexibility for radiology teams and the potential to expand access to MRI.

Together with healthcare partners such as Unilabs, Philips will continue advancing MR imaging toward more autonomous workflows designed around the needs of the people delivering care and the patients waiting for it.

* Compared with conventional (SENSE / Compressed SENSE / SmartSpeed AI) imaging.

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