Philips Medical Systems

Oct 31, 2006

Look for Philips of Andover, MA, to promote recent advancements to its line of high-field MRI scanners, including the Achieva 3.0T and Achieva 1.5T scanners, and the Panorama 1.0T open scanner.

Philips is expected to tout the compact design of the Achieva 3.0T system, which the company claims is advanced enough to support research applications but is as simple to use as a 1.5-tesla scanner. The scanner includes Philips' SmartExam technique, which reduces scan times by enabling users to create scan protocols for particular studies.

The system features extended imaging coverage for whole-body MRI, faster cardiac MRI sequences, faster higher-resolution 4D contrast-enhanced MR angiography (MRA), and what the company is calling "breakthroughs" in whole-body diffusion imaging. The system also includes an expanded portfolio of radiofrequency coils with higher acceleration factors using SENSE, Philips' proprietary parallel-imaging technique.

For Achieva 1.5T, Philips will highlight applications based on the scanner's Freewave spectrometer. Like Achieva 3.0T, the 1.5-tesla configuration includes SmartExam, faster cardiac MRI, and 4D MRA.

On the Panorama 1.0T scanner, the emphasis will be on clinical applications possible due to the scanner's open-bore configuration. Philips believes the system's solenoid technology coils deliver performance similar to that of high-field cylindrical systems.

By Brian Casey
AuntMinnie.com staff writer
November 1, 2006