Signa Explorer image courtesy of GE Healthcare
November 16, 2015 — At this year’s Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) annual meeting, GE Healthcare is showcasing continued advancements in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technologies, including the Signa Pioneer 3.0T and Signa Explorer MRI scanners.
The Signa Pioneer is a 3T MRI system that features an enhanced SilentScan package, enabling SilentScan for musculoskeletal (MSK) imaging and spine imaging, in addition to a complete neuro exam that also includes diffusion weighted imaging (DWI).
The Signa Pioneer also features technology called Total Digital Imaging (TDI) enabling improved image quality and increasing signal to noise ratio (SNR) by up to 25 percent. TDI is composed of Direct Digital Interface (DDI), Digital Surround Technology (DST) and Digital Micro Switching (DMS).
- DDI employs an independent analog-to-digital converter to digitize inputs from each of the 97 RF channels. Every input is captured and every signal is digitized;
- DST combines the digital signal from every surface coil element with the signal from the integrated RF body coil resulting in richer, higher SNR spine and body images with superior homogeneity and uniformity; and
- DMS is a significant advancement in RF coil design with intelligent Micro Electro-Mechanical Switches (MEMS) that support ultra-fast coil switching, which enables future expansion of Zero TE imaging capabilities. Zero TE enables imaging of tissues that are conventionally difficult to see with MRI, such as cortical bone, ligaments and tendons.
Both Signa Creator and Signa Explorer 1.5T MR scanners are designed to lower total cost of ownership and use 34 percent less power than previous generation MRI systems and require a smaller footprint for installation. Signa Creator covers an impressive range of productivity-enhancing applications: “eyes to thighs” coverage, neuro performance with automated motion correction, MSK performance with cartilage mapping, multi-planar body imaging with quantitative capabilities, and vascular performance with non-contrast and automated time-resolved imaging. Signa Creator also helps clinicians save time with an automated workflow – including volumetric imaging acquisitions like Cube, automated brain exams via Ready Brain, and simplified whole body diffusion imaging. OpTix Optical RF technology also can help boost image quality with premium analog to digital signal conversion that can provide a gain in SNR of up to 27 percent over conventional analog signal receivers.
The 1.5T Signa Explorer is designed to lower total cost of ownership and use 34 percent less power than previous-generation MRI systems and require a smaller footprint for installation. Signa Explorer offers clinicians the same workflow as the Signa Creator with an added patient-comfort touch: SilentScan neuro exam and Mavric SL. SilentScan, GE Healthcare’s quiet technology, is designed to enhance patient comfort. Conventional MRI scanners can generate noise in excess of 110 decibels (dBA), the equivalent of rock concert or jackhammer levels, while an MR with GE SilentScan generates noise in the range of 77 dBA. Mavric SL brings MRI to patients with MR-conditional metal implants by enabling visualization of soft tissue and bone near the implant.
For more information: www.gehealthcare.com
July 14, 2026 
