by
Keith Loria, Reporter | November 04, 2010
Philips SENSE MammoTrak
Breast 16-Channel Coil
This report originally appeared in the November 2010 issue of DOTmed Business News
Industry experts reveal there are around 30 million MRI procedures performed annually in the United States with the majority concentrated on brain, spine, knees or shoulders. All of those procedures translate to a lot of wear and tear on equipment, meaning machines need to be serviced and parts need to be replaced to keep the flow of patients moving. While there are many components to an MRI scanner and the failure of any of them could cause big problems, the MRI’s coils have to be at the top of the list of importance. Fortunately, MRI coil technology has made impressive advancements.
Specialization is occurring on all fronts. More sophisticated 1.5T coils are being introduced in the market; examples can be found in the Siemens TIM system and the Toshiba Atlas platform, 3T technology is becoming more enticing as the value of these systems is increasing, and procedurally unique coils are being used more frequently.
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“High channel count coils have been the trend and will continue to be the trend for the near future,” says Andrew Black, director of business development for MR Instruments Inc. However, he cautions, “There may be a point of diminishing returns; SNR/channel count, and the development of higher channel count coils, could ebb.”
According to Stuart Clarkson, director, MR business unit for Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc., coils are essential components that will expand the utility of an MRI scanner by applying the imaging capability to various parts of the anatomy.
Toshiba circular flex
coils, which are
used with Toshiba Vantage
Titan MR
“Advancements are helpful because you are getting clearer pictures as the coils deliver a better image quality,” says Andreas Miller, sales and marketing manager for Noras MRI products GmbH. “You also are seeing the software behind it getting better and in that sense, the results you are getting can be read far more easily and are more detailed.”
But MRI’s story isn’t just about technology. An increased awareness of MRI’s potential applications and capabilities is also serving to increase interest from potential customers.
