Prodrive Technologies

Prodrive Technologies is one of the fastest-growing technology companies in Europe. We leverage our technologies in multiple markets, resulting in proven solutions that minimize time-to-market, risk, and costs for our customers. For over 30 years, we have been a research, development, and production partner for high-end electronics in the medical and life sciences industries. With a wide reach across multiple regions, Prodrive counts on multiple manufacturing sites and sales offices around the world, such as in Europe, North America, Japan, Korea, China, and Israel.

This supports our idea to create and do everything in-house, enabling us to support and take full responsibility for our customers’ inquiries, which allows them to excel in their operations by providing innovative and comprehensive solutions.

Prodrive Technologies specializes in high-performance and high-precision amplifiers & generators for the Healthcare equipment market. The NG series Gradient Amplifier Systems offer a cost-effective and integral solution for mainstream & premium MRI systems. Unique technology enables image quality and reliability that exceeds industry standards. The NG series Gradient Amplifier Systems are a reflection of Prodrive Technologies’ 20 years of industry-benchmarked authority in high-end power electronics.


Prodrive Technologies workshop

15:30 and 16:00

Sustainable gradient amplifiers

To reduce scan time and enhance image quality, MRI scanners rely on gradient amplifiers to drive the gradient coils with voltages above 2000V and currents of 1200A. The gradient systems of the latest MRI scanners consume more and more energy. With increasing energy prices and challenging sustainability targets, this energy consumption is becoming a bigger issue for hospitals. Prodrive Technologies is applying its sustainability design methods, to develop a new generation gradient amplifiers based on SiC MOSFETs to reduce the energy consumption of an MRI scanner and to improve the circularity of its components. In this talk Joost explains these methods and the technology behind this innovation.

About Joost van Straalen

Joost van Straalen is the principal engineer at Prodrive Technologies for the gradient amplifier portfolio. He started working at Prodrive Technologies in 2005 and worked on numerous projects as electrical engineer and later as system architect. Between 2012 and 2018 Joost worked as a part-time lecturer at Fontys Hogescholen teaching Power Electronics and Control Systems. Since 2014 Joost is working on the development of gradient amplifiers for MRI scanners. Together with a talented team of engineers, he is currently creating a new generation of more sustainable gradient amplifiers.