GE Healthcare Unveils New 1.5T MR Technology With Enhanced Performance

April 1, 2013 — Two new 1.5T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners from GE Healthcare, the Optima MR360 Advance and Brivo MR355 Inspire, have recently received 510(k) clearance. Redesigned with new enclosures symbolizing GE’s Humanizing MR strategy, both systems are engineered to address the demand for increased performance and reduced total cost of ownership for the facility, while providing a comfortable experience for the patient.

“Overall, I was pleasantly surprised with the image quality, especially the quality of abdomen and pelvis images, which are excellent when compared to 3.0T,” said Tamotsu Nomura, chief technologist at Ishikawa Hospital in Osaka, Japan. Nomura owns the first Optima MR360 Advance in the country.

Gloger of Verbundklinikum Landkreis Ansbach Klinik, Rothenburg, who owns the first system in Germany said, “After a smooth and fast installation, my radiographers learned very quickly how to scan, including those with minimal MR experience.”

The Optima MR360 Advance is designed to deliver a comfortable patient experience and advanced performance. This system offers a newly-designed Express suite of coils with 16 channel head and neck array, anterior array, and flex coils that enable faster workflow. Additionally, the Optima MR360 Advance is available with 18 new clinical applications including the Needle Free suite that strives to reduce the need for biopsy, contrast and sedation. The Optima MR360 Advance also features the OpTix RF, which offers analog to digital signal inside the scan room to minimize noise and signal degradation, resulting in high-quality clinical images.

The Brivo MR355 Inspire is designed to be an easy-to-use 1.5T MR system. This system also features OpTix RF as well as READY Interface, which offers simplified control of the scan parameters that may allow for greater consistency from technologist to technologist and ultimately from patient to patient. The Brivo MR355 Inspire system is engineered to combine the diagnostic benefits of high-performance MR technology with a low total cost of ownership.

Both the Optima MR360 and the Brivo MR355 are ecomagination certified and are engineered to drive low operating costs by using eco-friendly technologies like efficient gradients, water-cooling systems, super capacitors and power distribution units.

For more information: www.gehealthcare.com