Royal Philips Electronics showcased Philips Ingenia the first ever digital broadband magnetic resonance imaging solution at the Radiological Society of North America meeting in Chicago on November 28th. The Ingenia MR system is pending U.S. FDA 510(k) and is not available for sale in the U.S.
In order to visualize detailed structures within the human body, MRIs use radio, audio frequency, and static magnetic fields where the strength is measured in Tesla (T) units. Clinicians have long relied on MRIs for their ability to differentiate various soft tissues. Until now, all MRI systems have used analog components for the signal acquisition and processing needed to generate patient images. However, the use of analog components during this process has limited the upper reaches of image clarity and quality.
Now for the first time in MRIs, the Philips Ingenia MR system introduces digital signal acquisition and processing directly in the RF receive coil nearest to the patient. By digitizing the signal directly in the RF receive coil and maintaining the digital connection throughout the entire MRI scanning process, Ingenia is able to generate up to a 40 percent improvement in signal-to-noise ratio.
By improving the signal-to-noise ratio, the system is able to deliver the crisp image clarity that clinicians need to help make informed decisions for a wider range of clinical procedures. Also the system incorporates an integrated hidden posterior coil enabling full body coverage and eliminates the need to place multiple connecting coils around various parts of the body.
“Just as Web 2.0 redefined the way people connect, share, and use the internet, imaging 2.0 represents a new world of possibilities for radiology science. It’s about integration and collaboration to produce new levels of patient focus and safety to help clinicians achieve what was unimaginable just a few short years ago. Radiologists can now integrate information from various sources to make a confident diagnosis and discuss it with all of the clinical partners on the case while putting the radiologist at the center of clinical decision-making,” said Gene Saragnese, General Manager, for Imaging Systems at Philips Healthcare.
This approach eliminates unnecessary prep time while each patient has a more comfortable patient experience. Clinicians find that they spend significantly less time on the logistics related to patient set-up, contributing to as much as a 30 percent increase in throughput. The system is available in 1.5T and 3.0T versions to accommodate varied imaging needs.
For more information, contact, Ian Race, Philips Healthcare at (978) 659-4624 email
ian.race@philips.com or contact Caroline Kamerbeek, Philips Healthcare at +31 (0) 40 27 826 82 or email caroline.kamerbeek@philips.com.
