Siemens Medical Solutions

(Booth 7713) A major RSNA highlight for Siemens Medical Solutions of Malvern, PA, will be Magnetom Essenza, an economical 1.5-tesla scanner that the company believes will enable many facilities to upgrade or add a high-field MRI scanner for the first time.

Siemens estimates that Essenza will cost as much as $500,000 less than other 1.5-tesla scanners, and will be an affordable option for small hospitals and diagnostic imaging centers. The system weighs 3.5 tons and has an ultrashort-bore length of 145 cm. Siemens worked on reducing operating costs for the scanner -- the company believes that Essenza will save facilities up to 50% on their energy bill compared to older MRI scanners.

On the performance side, Essenza uses the company's V-engine gradients, rated at 30 mtesla/m, and Tim (Total imaging matrix) coil technology, which allows up to four different coil combinations to be used simultaneously to reduce patient repositioning. The scanner also has up to 25 integrated coil elements and eight independent radiofrequency channels.

Essenza also features Siemens' new IsoCenter Matrix coil, which is placed in the isocenter of the magnet, meaning it's always in position and ready to scan, according to the company. The coil can also be used in combination with anterior coils and works as a 140-cm coil in multistep exams to avoid repositioning.

For difficult imaging areas, the company offers a Focus Shoulder Array coil to improve the quality of off-center images. The coil features a six-element design and is compatible with Siemens' parallel scanning technology.