“No need to queue up at big hospitals in the city—now you can get tested right at your doorstep, saving two-thirds of the cost!” At the health center in Zangcun Town, Qingyuan District, Baoding City, villager Liu Cailan completed an MRI scan and received her results in just one hour. In this unassuming township health center, a conventional-type MRI scanner independently developed by Hebei Huiren Medical Equipment Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Huiren Technology”) is quietly transforming the landscape of primary healthcare.
Wang Tianfeng, Chairman of Huirun Technology (center), exchanges views with Dong Xuhao, Research Assistant at the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (right), on issues such as image quality enhancement. Photo by Wu Xingguang, reporter for Hebei Economic Daily.
Behind this device lies a breakthrough battle in China’s high-end medical-device sector—Huiren Technology, the country’s sole manufacturer of conventional-conductivity medical MRI systems, not only undertakes two national-level strategic projects but has also broken the foreign technology monopoly, making MRI scanners affordable for township hospitals and accessible to ordinary people.
Conventional Conductive Technology: Solving the Challenges to Widespread Adoption of Magnetic Resonance Imaging
As summer begins, a reporter stepped into the Huirun Technology exhibition hall and felt as if they’d entered a futuristic medical setting: Vehicle-mounted magnetic resonance imaging systems can reach even remote mountainous regions; shipborne MRI systems ensure medical care during long-distance ocean voyages; and intelligent diagnostic systems combine “imaging plus AI” to deliver precise diagnoses... The dazzling array of equipment underscores the company’s innovative strength, and at its core lies the “normal-conducting” technology label.
“The barrier to widespread adoption of MRI lies in its cost,” explained Wang Tianfeng, Chairman of Huirun Technology, as he held up three different MRI models. “Permanent-magnet MRI relies on rare-earth resources and poses risks from magnetic fields; superconducting MRI requires liquid helium to maintain an ultra-low temperature of -269°C, with each scan consuming more than 100 yuan in electricity. In contrast, conventional-conductivity MRI uses basic materials such as copper, iron, and aluminum. It’s demagnetized immediately when power is cut off, making it much safer. A single scan of one body part costs only 1 yuan, making it particularly well-suited for deployment in primary-level medical institutions.”
As the saying goes, "It takes ten years to sharpen a sword"—a perfect description of Wang Tianfeng’s research on conventional magnetic resonance imaging equipment.
Multi-party support: Breaking through R&D bottlenecks
In 2013, shortly after Huiren Technology was founded, Wang Tianfeng confided in the relevant officials of the Baoding Science and Technology Association at an industry exchange meeting about the difficulties his company was facing. Magnetic resonance imaging is one of the most powerful tools for screening serious diseases and promoting human health. At that time, in the high-end medical equipment sector, 70% of the market share was monopolized by foreign brands. The high purchase costs and substantial expenses for operation and maintenance made it financially burdensome for ordinary people to undergo MRI scans at large hospitals—resulting in long waiting periods and hefty fees. Moreover, a vast number of grassroots medical institutions remained completely underserved in terms of MRI availability. Wang Tianfeng himself wasn't sure what kind of MRI equipment would be suitable for deployment in these lower-tier medical facilities.
The Science and Technology Association of Baoding City attached great importance to the situation and promptly reported it to the Hebei Provincial Science and Technology Association. Leaders from the provincial association immediately stated: “Huirun Technology’s R&D direction is of great significance for the localization of medical equipment in China, and we must find ways to help them.”
Subsequently, the Hebei Provincial Association for Science and Technology and the Baoding City Association for Science and Technology took proactive steps, reaching out to experts and research institutions in related fields to connect them with Huiren Technology. Through various channels, they gathered a wealth of cutting-edge research materials on magnetic resonance technology from both domestic and international sources and delivered them to Huiren Technology’s technical staff. At the same time, the provincial and municipal associations organized numerous technical seminars, inviting renowned domestic magnetic resonance experts to answer questions and provide guidance to Huiren Technology’s technical team. The company also appointed Li Jingwen, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering who has participated in feasibility studies for major projects such as the South-to-North Water Diversion Project, the Three Gorges Dam, and the Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway, as its chief consultant. Under his guidance, the company finalized its approach to developing conventional-type magnetic resonance technology: “We will develop a medical magnetic resonance system that is well-suited for grassroots medical institutions—highly reliable, low in both initial and operational costs, and advanced and practical. Just like ultrasound and X-ray machines, this technology will become widely accessible, greatly improving the health of the general public.”
“Those seminars were like timely raindrops for us. The experts’ explanations and advice gave us fresh insights into our R&D direction and key technologies,” Wang Tianfeng recalled.
Dong Xuhao (right), a research assistant at the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, introduces Wang Zuopi, Vice Chairman of the Science and Technology Association of Baoding City, to the high-definition MRI large-model AI-powered image reconstruction technology. Photo by Wu Xingguang, reporter for Hebei Economic Daily.
Conventional MRI technology is relatively complex and is often referred to as the "pearl" atop the crown of medical devices. Moreover, there are no existing conventional MRI systems available abroad for reference. Relying solely on Hui Ren Technology’s own R&D capabilities would simply fall far short of the mark.
Through the Innovation-Driven Development Conference and the Baishishan Life Sciences Conference platform, the Science and Technology Association of Baoding City has provided strong support for the development of Huiren Technology. The conference is supported by the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST) and jointly organized by the Hebei Provincial Association for Science and Technology, Hebei University, and the CAST Life Sciences Society Consortium. Since its establishment in Baishishan in 2018, the conference has focused on life sciences and, centered around the International Medical Base project, has continuously attracted projects, gathered talent, and pooled resources. As a technology-based enterprise, Huiren Technology has participated in this initiative, enabling it to establish connections and cooperation mechanisms with national academic societies and leading experts in the field of life sciences, thereby securing both talent and project support and driving its innovative development.
With breakthroughs in key technologies, Huirun Technology’s research and development of conventional-conductivity MRI has entered a fast-track phase. Through collaborations with institutions such as the Institute of Modern Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian University of Technology, Shanghai Health College, Shanghai University of Technology, North China Electric Power University, Hebei Medical University, and Second Military Medical University, Huirun Technology has achieved significant breakthroughs in the technology for widespread MRI applications. It has successfully developed EMR2 and EMR3 models of medical conventional-conductivity MRI equipment, obtained medical device registration certificates, and initiated mass production, thereby filling the gap in China’s market—previously lacking medical MRI equipment suitable for widespread use at the grassroots level. Huirun Technology has now become the only specialized manufacturer in China producing medical conventional-conductivity MRI equipment.
Technological Breakthrough: Enhancing Image Quality
After achieving a triumphant first victory, even tougher challenges soon followed. “Image clarity has consistently fallen short of expectations,” said Zhang Lijun, Technical Director at Huiren Technology, as he showed early images: In brain scans, lesions larger than 3 millimeters could be detected, whereas superconducting MRI equipment can identify lesions as small as 1 millimeter. This “clarity gap” has become an obstacle to the product’s wider market penetration.
To tackle the challenge of improving image quality, in 2024, Huirun Technology entered into a collaboration with the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Thanks to the Innovation-Driven Development Conference and the Baishishan Life Sciences Conference platform, Wang Tianfeng has met many experts, including Zheng Hairong, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Deputy Director of the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Director of the National Center for Innovative Medical Devices. The two sides have jointly established a 30-person joint laboratory and pioneered the development of a dual-segment enhancement technology. By redesigning the sequence and employing deep-learning algorithms, this technology boosts the signal-to-noise ratio by 40% while increasing resolution to 1.5 millimeters, transforming brain infarct lesions from “blurred shadows” into “bright warning spots.”
Currently, the team led by Academician Zheng Hairong is based at Huiren Technology. Dong Xuhao, a research assistant at the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, has been in Baoding for one year. His primary work involves sequence development and image enhancement. “Unlike traditional methods, constant-field MRI operates at a low magnetic field strength. Compared to high-field MRI, the major drawback of low-field MRI is its low signal-to-noise ratio, resulting in weaker acquired signals,” explained Dong Xuhao. He added that by employing a dual-phase enhancement technique—enhancing image quality from both resolution and signal-to-noise ratio perspectives—it’s possible to make originally blurry images clearer without compromising their structural integrity.
The Smart HD MRI Digital Application Innovation Center of Huirun Technology. Photo by Wu Xinguang, reporter of Hebei Economic Daily.
“Imaging data are crucial for the early diagnosis and prevention of diseases.” At the company’s Innovative Center for Intelligent, High-Definition MRI Digital Applications, Wang Tianfeng explained that by deeply integrating AI and IoT technologies, the company has developed three major medical AI models—high-definition MRI, intelligent MRI, and MRI matrix applications—and has created a smart MRI “brain-like platform.” Among these, the high-definition MRI large model employs deep learning techniques for pre-processing, aiming to improve imaging quality, accelerate imaging speed, and optimize image reconstruction.
In Wang Tianfeng’s view, with the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence, image clarity has achieved breakthrough progress, and low-field, conventional-conducting MRI can indeed attain extremely high image clarity.
Blue Ocean Markets and Future Prospects
Major innovations in conventional MRI application technologies and a substantial drop in costs have enabled the number of MRI users and the size of the industry to expand by more than tenfold, creating a new “blue ocean” market. Huiren Technology’s conventional MRI equipment has been deployed to over 3,000 township health centers and community hospitals across 17 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities—including Hebei, Shanxi, Shandong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Hunan, Sichuan, and Shenzhen—boosting China’s domestic MRI market share from 5% to 22%.
Wang Zuopi, Vice Chairman of the Science and Technology Association of Baoding City, stated that the next step will be to further leverage the platform of the Baishishan Life Sciences Conference to attract more high-end talent and innovative projects in the life sciences field to settle in Baoding, thereby fostering collaboration between local enterprises and top research institutions both at home and abroad. At the same time, Baoding will continue to deepen its efforts in piloting the "Innovation China" initiative of the China Association for Science and Technology and in building itself as a demonstration city for innovation-driven development. By continuously optimizing the innovation ecosystem, actively nurturing innovation entities, and promoting the practical application of scientific and technological achievements, Baoding aims to enable more enterprises to achieve high-quality development by taking advantage of the momentum generated by the "Innovation China" initiative.
