HRISHIKESH JYOTIRAM RAHIGUDE
Mr. Vikram Debabrata
hrishikesh_r@nid.edu
India’s rural population faces significant barriers to advanced diagnostic healthcare, particularly in medical imaging. MRI, a non-invasive and radiation free diagnostic tool, remains largely inaccessible due to high costs, infrastructural demands, and limited availability. This project, in collaboration with GE Healthcare India Studio, explores a container based, transportable MRI unit designed for rural deployment, addressing challenges of Design for Accessibility and Design for Healthcare. The study involved analyzing MRI system components, spatial constraints, environmental requirements (cooling, shielding, power), and patient workflows, integrating principles of Industrial Design, Space Design, and Tangible Experience Design. The proposed solution emphasizes modularity, plug and play operability, remote diagnostics, and compatibility with tele-radiology, ensuring functional, safe, and adaptable imaging across diverse terrains. By combining user centric design with medical infrastructure engineering, this thesis presents a scalable pathway to decentralize diagnostic imaging in India, enhancing rural healthcare accessibility while informing mobile healthcare strategies globally.