that segment of the market has already dropped down from 27% to 20%, and we anticipate it might weaken a little bit more," Giegerich noted. "3T gets a lot of hype, but when you really look at it, it's not a lot of units. If around
890 MR units are going to be sold this year, about 90 of those units will be
3Ts," Giegerich added.

Coils come with plenty of options
RF coils are essential to acquiring an MR image, and for each unique body part, a special coil is required. And be aware, 3T machines won't work with coils made for a 1.5T system.

Parallel acquisition and multiple channels make the new coils for the 3T machines faster while delivering improved images. MRs come with a standard set of coils, and all the OEMs offer an a la carte menu of additional coils, such as a dedicated breast coil.

You can also go with third-party coils - no MR requires proprietary coils - and there are a number quality manufacturers in this market.

Multiple channel coils mean faster imaging and better signal for a better image, but it's not as simple as 'more is better.' Bob Giegerich explains it this way: "The size of the coil 'box' is pretty much fixed, so if you want more channels in there, you have to make them smaller and smaller. As they get smaller, they lose penetration into the body. So if you have a big object with small detectors, you won't see into the middle of it. You have to balance the size of the object with the number of channels. There's a certain optimum ratio for every body part. If someone says to me, 'well, I want an eight-channel wrist coil.' I'll say, 'no you don't, because if you had eight channels, you wouldn't be able to see the center of the wrist, where there's a lot of interesting things going on.' So really, in coil design, it's matching the object to the number of channels," Giegerich said.

The impact of "imaging envy" and market
competition

There are two not-much-talked-about factors that are whispering "go with a 3T" - and perhaps not so subtlety - in the ears of the decision makers on the MR purchasing committees.

One factor is what DOTmed Business News has coined: "imaging envy." Let's face it, a shiny, new 3T system has a 'magnetic-like' appeal to a broad range of healthcare professionals, and not just among radiologists. Also, hospitals that
want to keep and/or attract top-flight doctors have to factor their imaging technology acquisition plans into their recruitment strategy.

Then there's the issue of marketing - attracting new patients. If you can find an ad for a hospital that doesn't tout, "we have the latest technology to help achieve the best outcomes," or words to that effect, please let us know. New technology does mean better healthcare, but it also can mean a healthier bottom line. 'State-of-the-art' marketing claims also create a more favorable perception of a hospital in general. In other words, promoting advanced technology can mean increased referrals for routine procedures as well.

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