The Memo: InkSpace Imaging Transforming MRI with Patient-Centered Innovation

Under the direction of President and CEO Peter Fischer, InkSpace Imaging is pioneering a breakthrough in MRI technology with ultralight, flexible, body-conforming MRI coils. The company was initially focused on pediatrics, addressing a long-standing gap in MRI accessibility and patient comfort for children, who often require sedation due to poorly fitting, rigid coils. Building on this foundation, InkSpace Imaging has expanded its product line, securing FDA clearance for adult MRI applications as well, bringing the same advancements in comfort and imaging quality to a broader patient population.

By replacing uncomfortable, one-size-fits-all coils with customized, high-performance solutions, InkSpace Imaging is improving image quality, reducing scan times, and enhancing patient comfort—all while making MRI more efficient for hospitals and healthcare providers. Its coils are plug-and-play compatible with Siemens, GE, and Philips MRI systems, requiring no workflow or software modifications. Additionally, they fit seamlessly into current reimbursement models, making adoption straightforward for hospitals and imaging centers.

With FDA-cleared products, a strategic partnership with Siemens, and a growing presence with GE and Philips, InkSpace Imaging is rapidly scaling. As the company expands globally, it continues to demonstrate how innovation in MRI coils can optimize patient care, streamline workflows, and increase hospital efficiency.

Origin Story

MRI technology has long relied on rigid, heavy receive coils designed for six-foot-tall adult males—leaving much of the population, particularly children, without optimally fitting imaging solutions. This mismatch results in suboptimal image quality, uncomfortable exams, often required sedation, and longer scan times or repeat exams.

InkSpace Imaging was founded to change that. The company’s co-founders, Prof. Michael Lustig and Prof. Ana Claudia Arias, combined their expertise in MRI physics and printed electronics to develop the world’s first super flexible, ultralight MRI receive coils. While their initial focus was on pediatric imaging, it became clear their technology could enhance MRI experiences for patients of all ages.

Recognizing the potential to revolutionize imaging, Peter Fischer joined as an advisor in 2018 before stepping into the CEO role in 2019. With a robust background in printed electronics, he recognized the transformational potential of this technology for medical imaging. “MRI is a well-established diagnostic procedure with 100 million exams performed every year—yet the technology around coils has remained largely unchanged,” Fischer explained. “Existing coils are bulky and rigid, making them a poor fit for most patients, especially children. By making them flexible and lightweight, we’re transforming both image quality and patient comfort and bringing hospital efficiency to a different level.”

The Current Landscape

MRI is one of the most powerful diagnostic tools in medicine. Yet, MRI coil technology hasn’t evolved to meet the growing demand for faster, more comfortable, and higher-resolution imaging.

Challenges with traditional coils:

• Rigid & Heavy: Current coils weigh between 10-20 pounds, making them uncomfortable for patients and difficult for radiology technologists to position.
• One-Size-Fits-All: Designed for large adult males, these coils don’t conform to smaller patients or specific anatomies, compromising image quality.
• Extended Scan Times & Repeats: Poor coil fit leads to lower signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and longer scan times, increasing patient motion artifacts and requiring repeat scans.
• Sedation in Pediatric Imaging: Children often require sedation because traditional coils don’t fit properly, leading to longer hospital stays and increased risks.

“Every hospital in the world faces these challenges,” Fischer noted. “Our technology removes the barriers that have made MRI uncomfortable, inefficient, and, in many cases, ineffective.”

Inside the Innovation

InkSpace Imaging’s flexible, printed MRI receive coils offer a revolutionary alternative to traditional rigid coils. Their patented technology enables lightweight, body-conforming coils that dramatically improve imaging performance and patient experience.

Key advantages of InkSpace Imaging’s coils:

• Flexible & Ultralight: Weigh less than one pound compared to 10-20 pounds for conventional coils. As a result, the coil can be placed wherever needed. The youngest patient scanned was 18 hours old and three weeks premature.
• Better Image Quality: Due to its flexibility, it sits snug-fit and maximizes signal-to-noise ratio, providing high spatial and temporal resolution.
• Faster Scans: Reduces scan time by up to 45%, improving hospital throughput and the time the patient needs to be on the table.
• Reduces Sedation in Pediatrics: Enables natural patient positioning, reducing the need for anesthesia or reducing the depth/length of anesthesia.
•  Plug-and-Play Compatibility: Works seamlessly with Siemens, GE, and Philips MRI systems, requiring no additional software or workflow changes.

“We’re bringing MRI into the 21st century,” Fischer said. “Our coils snap-fit to the body, providing anatomically optimized imaging without the discomfort or inefficiencies of rigid coils.”

Progress and Milestones

InkSpace Imaging is making rapid strides in commercialization and global expansion, with new partnerships, increasing sales, and product development efforts. Key milestones include:

• OEM Partnerships:
  • Siemens: Official supply contract, with 24 MR Sales Executives actively selling InkSpace Imaging coils.
  • GE & Philips: Strengthened partnerships, including collaborative development projects and new product integration plans.

• FDA Clearance & Product Pipeline:
  • Achieved FDA clearance for 3T MRI coils across 10 Siemens systems and 5 GE systems.
  • Recently submitted another product for the 1.5T market, significantly expanding the addressable market. This product was cleared by the FDA in just 23 days.
  • Pediatric Head-Neck Coil is currently in development, filling a critical gap in pediatric neuroimaging.
  • Actively developing breast and prostate coils to address unmet needs in oncology and women’s health, further expanding its portfolio of patient-centered imaging solutions.

• Revenue Acceleration and Market Momentum:
  • Projected Q1 revenue surpassing 2024 revenue.
  • Significant traction with key opinion leaders (KOLs), particularly St. Jude, Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters, and UC Davis.
  • Hospitals report exceptional image quality and improved workflow efficiency.

• Veterinary Market Expansion:
  • InkSpace Imaging’s technology has been successfully demonstrated in a leading veterinary MRI setting, highlighting potential applications beyond human healthcare.

• Funding & Growth Plans:
  • $8 million raised in the ongoing $10 million Series A—with plans for a larger funding round in 2026.
  • Dual sales strategy through direct hospital sales and indirect sales via OEM partners and distributors.

• IP Protection & Competitive Differentiation
• Holds patent-protected technology that ensures no other company can replicate its ultralight, highly flexible, and body-conforming MRI coils. Unlike conventional solutions, these coils can adapt seamlessly to the patient’s anatomy—even reaching a wearable level of comfort—while delivering superior image quality. This exclusivity positions InkSpace Imaging as the only provider capable of delivering this level of MRI performance and patient-centric design.

“We’ve proven the demand for our technology,” Fischer said. “Now, we’re scaling up to make this the standard for MRI worldwide.”

Market Insights

Magnetic resonance imaging has evolved significantly since its early applications in medical imaging back in the 1970s. The imaging modality is now a vital tool within the suite of imaging modalities that make up a $41.1 billion global diagnostic imaging market. 

According to LSI’s Market Analysis and Projections database, a global device market sizing database, MRI is the second largest segment of the entire diagnostic imaging market, with an estimated $8.1B in equipment sales as of 2024. LSI projects that this market will grow at a healthy CAGR of 3.6% from 2024 to 2029.

Looking more closely at the MRI coils market, LSI anticipates that growth of the global MRI coil sales will significantly outpace equipment sales, with an estimated CAGR of 6.3% for the ~$2 billion market. 

Magnetic resonance imaging has entered a new generation as a result of current technological innovations—such as artificial intelligence and advanced coil designs—that are making the modality more accessible, capable, and versatile. The recognition of MRI as an ideal imaging modality for interventional procedures—such as high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) and other emerging applications both in the operating room and the point-of-care—is anticipated to be a powerful tailwind for innovation and market growth.

Join Us This Year at LSI USA, LSI Asia, and LSI Europe

Fischer has been selected to present at LSI USA '25 (March 17-21) in Dana Point, CA, LSI Asia '25 (June 10-13) in Singapore, and LSI Europe '25 (September 7-11) in London, where he will take the stage in front of hundreds of global medical technology companies. Join us in welcoming Fischer where he will share the latest updates on Inkspace Imaging’s technology and development.