As diagnostic imaging evolves beyond pure precision toward a more compassionate model of care, Siemens Healthineers is leading the way in reimagining the patient experience. In this exclusive interaction, Hariharan Subramanian, Managing Director of Siemens Healthcare Pvt. Ltd., discusses how advanced technologies—from AI-driven imaging and low-dose CTs to free-breathing MRIs—are making scans faster, quieter, and more personalized. He also sheds light on how scalable innovations, local partnerships, and sustainable design are helping bridge the gap between cutting-edge care and accessible healthcare across India’s urban and rural landscapes.
1. Patient anxiety before diagnostic scans is a well-documented issue. From your perspective, how is technology changing the imaging experience to make it more patient-centric and less intimidating?
In diagnostic imaging, the focus has shifted from purely technical performance to a holistic, patient-centered experience. Today’s innovations aim to ease anxiety and make the imaging process faster, more comfortable, and more reassuring for patients.
For example, considering a patient arriving for a PET CT scan, is often anxious due to uncertainty about results. With advanced technology such as True TOF, physicians can detect even small lesions with high precision, enabling earlier and more confident diagnoses. This technology also operates at an optimum radiation exposure while improving image quality. The scan itself is now quicker, reducing the time patients spend lying still, helping ease discomfort.
Additionally, FlowMotion AI enhances the overall experience by ensuring smooth, continuous table movement throughout the scan. This intelligent system customizes the process based on each patient’s specific needs, eliminating abrupt starts and stops. As a result, the scan becomes more seamless for the patient and yields more comprehensive data for clinicians.
Together, these advancements transform diagnostic imaging into a more patient-friendly process, one that prioritizes comfort, precision, and efficiency while helping doctors deliver timely and effective care.
2. Siemens Healthineers has pioneered innovations such as low noise MRIs, free-breathing CTs, and low-dose imaging. Could you share how these features directly address patient concerns like noise, claustrophobia, or radiation exposure?
At Siemens Healthineers, every innovation is guided by a single principle: to make the patient’s journey more comfortable, safe, and reassuring. Medical imaging today plays a critical role in enabling earlier detection, more accurate diagnosis, and improved treatment outcomes. By focusing on faster, quieter, and more personalized scans, we aim to directly address common patient concerns including noise, claustrophobia, and radiation exposure.
Our MRI innovations, like Deep Resolve and BioMatrix, are redefining patient-centric imaging. Deep Resolve accelerates scans, reducing waiting and examination times, while BioMatrix adapts to each patient’s anatomy and physiology, removing the need for breath-holds and allowing for natural, comfortable breathing. Advanced applications such as Free Breathing Cardiac and Dynamic Liver imaging further enhance patient comfort, and DryCool technology significantly lowers scan noise, helping create a calmer, more reassuring environment.
In CT imaging, our Dual Source technology minimizes the requirement for beta blockers and breath-holding while reducing radiation exposure. High-power scanning enables lower doses even for patients with renal insufficiencies, and advanced reconstruction tools like iMAR help produce clear, artifact-free images for those with implants.
In mammography, the 50° Wide-Angle Tomosynthesis X-ray delivers a higher invasive cancer detection rate, enabling earlier and more accurate diagnosis. Personalized compression and dose optimization features ensure each patient experiences greater comfort during the procedure.
Finally, our Hybrid Operating Room solutions exemplify how technology and care integration can transform outcomes for complex procedures, such as pelvic ring fracture management in elderly patients. By shorting procedure times, streamlining workflows, and lowering radiation exposure, these innovations enhance both clinical outcomes and the patient experience.
3. Artificial intelligence is increasingly shaping diagnostic imaging. Beyond improving accuracy, how is AI being used to personalize scans and reduce unnecessary repeat procedures for patients?
Artificial intelligence is moving diagnostic imaging from a “one-size-fits-all” approach to one that is truly patient-specific. Today, AI enables imaging systems to dynamically adapt acquisition parameters in real time, adjusting factors such as dose, field-of-view, or sequence timing based on a patient’s body habits, breathing pattern, or the specific clinical question at hand. This ensures that every scan is optimized for the individual, improving accuracy while reducing the need for repeat studies.
On the operational side, AI-powered quality checks can flag suboptimal images immediately in the scanner room and even recommend corrective steps, helping technologists achieve accurate results. This not only reduces patient inconvenience and radiation exposure but also improves workflow efficiency for clinicians.
Equally important, AI is helping streamline triage and pre-test planning. By analyzing patient data and clinical context, it can guide providers in choosing the most appropriate modality and protocol upfront, avoiding unnecessary procedures and ensuring the patient receives the right test the first time.
In essence, AI is making imaging more personalized, precise, and efficient. It allows technology to adapt to the patient rather than forcing the patient to adapt to the technology, which is a profound shift in healthcare delivery.
The adoption of AI technologies in medical imaging enables healthcare providers to devote more time and attention to what matters most: patient outcomes.
4. In India, access and affordability remain critical. How can advanced patient-centric imaging technologies be scaled to tier-2 and tier-3 cities without significantly increasing costs for hospitals or patients?
We see scalability anchored on three pillars: smart product design, innovative business models, and strong local partnerships. By modularizing patient-centric features into sustainable, serviceable platforms, we can deploy advanced imaging in low-resource settings without compromising quality.
Additionally, early and increased adoption of digital technologies and process automation can significantly improve access to high-quality healthcare in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.
Local manufacturing and robust service networks further reduce lifecycle costs, driving both affordability and sustainability. Public–private partnerships will be critical to extend these solutions to the last mile.
Together, these efforts create an ecosystem where access to advanced, patient-centered imaging expands equitably, strengthening healthcare delivery for all.
5. Globally, there’s growing emphasis on “humanizing” healthcare technology. How is Siemens Healthineers aligning its innovation strategy in India to balance high-tech precision with compassionate care?
Imagine a patient stepping into a modern hospital for a CT scan. Perhaps they’re dealing with kidney concerns and feeling some nerves about the procedure. Today’s advanced CT technologies are transforming that experience, not just for the patient but also for the healthcare providers, setting a new standard for personalized and precise healthcare.
For example, as the scan begins, dual-source technology with two X-ray tubes and detectors instead of one works behind the scenes. This setup allows the scan to finish quickly using less contrast media and lower radiation. For someone with kidney issues, this means a better experience and smoother recovery.
Behind every image, sophisticated systems such as CARE kV and CARE Dose 4D automatically fine-tune the settings for each person, adjusting for their size and the reason for the scan. It’s no longer a “one-size-fits-all” approach, the machine learns and adapts, ensuring every patient, from a small child to an elderly adult receives the lowest possible dose without sacrificing image quality.
As the scan progresses, features like the TIN filter and high-power low kV scanning further limit unnecessary radiation and contrast, protecting sensitive organs and focusing only on the areas that matter. Innovations such as the Adaptive Dose Shield and X-care shield, spare healthy tissue, keeping the focus precisely where it needs to be.
In the background, an image reconstruction technique called SAFIRE reduces image noise and sharpens details, even at these lower doses. This results in clear, detailed images that help doctors reach faster and more confident diagnoses.
For children, special settings in CARE Child provide a gentle scan tailored to their size, giving both parents and doctors peace of mind.
The underlying story is about better outcomes and earlier detection. With improved image quality and reduced exposure, CT scans today help catch health issues sooner, personalize treatment, and make the entire experience better.
This is one such example of how technology is transforming lives and ‘humanizing’ healthcare, that’s both precise and compassionate.
6. Looking ahead, what do you see as the next frontier in diagnostic imaging – whether in terms of AI integration, sustainability, or patient experience – and how prepared is India’s healthcare ecosystem to adopt it?
The next frontier in diagnostic imaging lies at the intersection of AI integration, sustainability, and enhanced patient experience. Technologies with and beyond AI have the potential to not only improve image accuracy and speed but also enable predictive insights that support earlier diagnosis and personalized care.
For instance, in the last two years, more than 60 hospitals and diagnostic centers across India have adopted Deep Resolve technology in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). This has resulted in faster scans with better resolution, thereby improving the overall efficiency of the centre and accommodating more patients with shorter wait times. The feedback we have received indicates that this technology has significantly enhanced MRI throughput while improving resolution, with the potential for further optimization if needed.
Simultaneously, sustainable practices from energy-efficient imaging systems to reduced material waste, these are becoming critical as healthcare systems aim to balance quality care with environmental responsibility.
India’s healthcare ecosystem is increasingly prepared to adopt these innovations, driven by growing digital infrastructure, a focus on value-based care, and a rising emphasis on technology-enabled solutions that meet the needs of diverse populations. Laying better emphasis on early diagnosis will aid in better healthcare management. By embracing these advancements, diagnostic imaging can deliver better clinical outcomes while enhancing accessibility and patient comfort across the country.
