MRI Scanner Launched by GE Healthcare
The FDA has granted GE Healthcare marketing clearance for the company’s new Signa MR750 3.0T MR scanner. The system was showcased at the International Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM) meeting.
One consideration that drove development of the new scanner was to provide advanced clinical benefits, such as supporting earlier and/or more specific diagnosis. A second goal was to improve the challenges of workflow and training of new staff; the company recognized the need to create a more user-friendly system.
The RF Transmit was newly designed for the Signa system. This maximizes the overall performance and raises efficiency by more than 15 percent. The addition of GE’s Optical RF Technology increased the signal-to-noise ratio more than 25 percent compared to conventional imaging systems.
The Signa MR750 has a thermal management system. This providers up to 60 percent additional anatomical coverage and resolution unit per time. One advantage of this feature is that exams are not limited secondary to heat extraction.
Also included is the XRM gradient module and Perform 2.0.The newest version of the Perform software includes a proprietary gradient wave-form algorithm. This tool eliminates limitations of scanning from specific absorption rate (SAR) and peripheral nerve stimulation.
The Auto Calibrating Reconstruction (ARC) tool is used for Cartesian imaging. This supports parallel imaging approaches. ARC is useful in that it can reduce the amount of time to complete MRI studies or studies with higher resolution.
Three different operational applications were also integrated, Lava-Ideal, Vibrant-Ideal, and Propeller 2.o. More information about those tools is included in the press release from GE.
The system is designed for larger facilities, either large community hospitals or academic facilities. It may also be an attractive option for large community hospitals which serve as referral centers.
May 8, 2008 Related topics: Product Launches, Product Approval & Certification, Imaging, Radiology