Helium prices spike as war rages on—should MRI providers be worried?
The ramifications of the conflict in the Middle East may soon extend beyond the gas pump and into the healthcare sector, experts are cautioning.
This is due to the war in Iran putting a significant portion of the world's supply of helium on hold. Most MRI scanners require around 1,500 liters of liquid helium to keep cool, with periodic refills required throughout a machine’s lifetime. The healthcare industry accounts for close to 30% of global helium consumption, with MRI equipment needs accounting for a significant portion of that figure.
Numerous reports pertaining to the rising price of helium began to circulate this week, with some suggesting it has increased by between 50-70%. The price surge followed a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz that put a chokehold on exports; the strait is currently closed while the Trump Administration and leaders from Iran remain in a standoff amid stagnated negotiation talks.
Experts are cautioning that the blockade could begin to impact radiology departments across the globe if the conflict is not resolved soon, as Qatar produces nearly one-third of the world’s supply of helium and ships it through the strait. The world’s largest liquified natural gas (LNG) production facility, located approximately 50 miles north of Doha, Qatar, has been caught in the middle of the conflict between the U.S. and Iran as well; the facility was recently the target of Iranian missiles, which will likely trigger a 17% reduction in Qatar’s LNG capacity for up to five years, Reuters reports.
Are MRI vendors prepared?
Most big-name imaging equipment manufacturers—Siemens, Philips and GE all have one—have been working toward developing “helium-free” MRI systems for years, but the truth is that no scanner can operate safely without helium. Even the newer systems that run on a fraction of the amount of helium that traditional scanners use run the risk of being sidelined.
“If deployed MRIs quench, service organizations’ ability to respond promptly with adequate quantities of liquid He will be tested!” Tobias Gilk, MRSO, MR architect and founder of Gilk Radiology Consultants, cautioned in a LinkedIn post. “An MRI scanner with an 1,800 liter cryostat hold the same quantity of helium as about 90,000 round party balloons!”
The potential for a helium shortage is not a new concern, but worries over the supply woes have certainly echoed a bit louder in recent weeks. Despite this, manufacturers are not panicking just yet. The U.S. is still a dominant producer of helium and is equipped to handle supply disruptions in the short term.
Katie Grant, PhD, head of Siemens Healthineers’ North American magnetic resonance business, told Fierce Medtech that the majority of the company’s helium needs are fulfilled in North America.
“We work with several different companies and suppliers, and we also have several different storage setups and facilities,” Grant said. “Since helium is such a vital part of our business, as well as our customers’ business, having a ready and reliable helium supply is critical to our success.”
In addition to her background in journalism, Hannah also has patient-facing experience in clinical settings, having spent more than 12 years working as a registered rad tech. She began covering the medical imaging industry for Innovate Healthcare in 2021.