Nano4Imaging and the EIC Accelerator: Catheters Seen in MRI

Nano4Imaging, a Düsseldorf medtech company led by CEO Rudolf Schulze Vohren, makes devices for interventional procedures inside MRI scanners. It already sold EmeryGlide, which it calls "the world's first FDA cleared non-metallic, MRI-conditional guidewire". Its EIC project, TRACKR, promised a nano-coating platform that makes any catheter, guidewire or balloon visible in MRI, and deep-learning software to track those devices in real time, sold as a service to device makers, with "Four large players (Terumo, B.Braun COOK, Numed)" named as early adopters, according to CORDIS.

The European Innovation Council granted €2,482,709 towards a €3.55 million project from April 2023 to December 2025. The only published report, for the first year, describes animal studies at Ohio State University, a first software prototype, markers printed on catheters from Numed, Biotronik, Terumo and others, and a letter of intent with Siemens Healthineers. That letter, announced in September 2023, allows Nano4Imaging to deploy the software on Siemens' Magnetom MRI systems, AuntMinnie reported. The company's website now markets the software as trackr.ai and invites hospitals to request a demo.

Where Nano4Imaging Stands Now

The website describes trackr.ai as "a proprietary deep learning algorithm validated in clinical interventional settings" that follows Magnafy markers "like GPS for the catheter", and says clinical studies of more than 200 patients have documented zero procedural complications, citing papers on its guidewire. It names no hospital using trackr.ai and no regulatory clearance for the software. Register records show patents filed in December 2024 on a robot system for inserting instruments, and the company's 2023 accounts filed in April 2025, according to North Data.

The Technology: Catheter Procedures Without X-Rays

Nano4Imaging says interventional MRI offers better soft-tissue contrast without ionising radiation or nephrotoxic contrast agents. Its approach combines non-metallic devices, nanoparticle markers visible in MRI and CT, and AI that recognises the markers across MRI sequences. The report says markers were tested on scanners from 0.5 to 3 tesla.

What the EIC Project Promised, and What CORDIS Shows

The project promised a turn-key coating and software platform, adopted by major device makers. After the first year, the report shows prototypes and partnership talks, including with Philips, and says clinical validation data would be needed before submitting the software to the FDA. CORDIS lists the project as closed, but no report covers the last 21 months, so whether the device makers adopted the coatings or the software was submitted for clearance cannot be checked.

1. Tracking softwareMarketedtrackr.ai marketed.
2. Coating platformPartialTested on partner catheters.
3. FDA submissionUnverifiedNo clearance found.
4. Device-maker adoptionUnverifiedNo deals announced.

The Money

Besides the EIC grant, Nano4Imaging received two German federal research grants in 2022, worth €874,271 together, for MRI-visible stent grafts and MRI-guided liver tumour treatment, North Data lists. Its shareholders include S-VC Risikokapital-Fonds für die Regionen Aachen, Krefeld und Mönchengladbach. Its revenue and any funding round since 2024 are not public.

What Cannot Be Checked

Why Europe Should Care

Moving catheter procedures into MRI would spare patients radiation, and the company says more than 600,000 people at risk in the US alone could benefit. The EIC paid for the software and coating platform meant to make that possible, and the public cannot see how far the project got.

The Verdict

Nano4Imaging and the EIC have not been asked for comment for this article. It is based entirely on public records and published statements, linked throughout.