MRI coil developer MR Instruments will highlight Cheetah Coils, its newest generation of radiofrequency coil technology.
Cheetah Coils were originally created for MRI research applications at 4- to 9-tesla field strengths, but they have received FDA clearance for the 3-tesla clinical market as well.
The coils are more efficient in their use of RF power, according to the company. This added efficiency can shorten scan times, reduce concerns about specific absorption rates (SAR), and provide better image resolution. A 15-element version for GE and Siemens scanners is currently available; a multichannel model will enter the market in the first quarter of 2006 and a multinuclei version in the third quarter of 2006.
MRI Instruments licensed rights to the transverse echo magnetic (TEM) technology behind Cheetah Coils from its developers, which include Massachusetts General Hospital, the University of Alabama, and the University of Minnesota.
As a work-in-progress, MR Instruments will demonstrate a line of Cheetah 3-tesla extremity coils in large, medium, and small sizes. Availability is expected in the first quarter of 2006.
By Brian Casey
AuntMinnie.com staff writer
November 10, 2005
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