MALVERN, Pa. -- Combining 3 Tesla strength and sensitivity with a patient-friendly, open-bore design, Siemens Medical Solutions has introduced the MAGNETOM(R) Verio, a 3 Tesla (T) MRI system with a 70 cm open bore and Total imaging matrix (Tim(TM)) technology. This marks the first time all these attributes have been combined in one solution. The Verio represents a new class of MRI technology that increases access to advanced diagnostic capabilities. The Verio delivers high-field imaging to many patients who could not benefit from the technology before.

"The Verio will help open the doors to high-quality diagnostic imaging for patients who typically have not had access to MR imaging, particularly those who are claustrophobic, in pain or discomfort or those who weigh up to 550 lbs," said Jeffrey Bundy, vice president, Siemens Medical Solutions, MR Division. "Healthcare providers will also realize numerous benefits, as the Verio will help to maximize volume and referrals by scanning a broader range of patients; increases throughput; and helps to minimize operating costs delivered by the shortest, ultra-light magnet that can be sited into the same space as a 1.5T system."

A Wide Range of Applications Serving a Greater Number of Patients

3T: With the strongest magnet field strength used clinically, the Verio can be used for many applications, including neurology and functional neuro evaluation, orthopedic and cartilage assessment, breast, vascular and cardiac imaging. The 3T system optimizes parallel imaging, accelerates scan time and improves visualization as well as patient throughput.

Bore: The Verio has the shortest length of any 3T system on the market today, along with a 70-cm bore, the largest available on the market today. These two attributes, which help reduce a patient's anxiety and discomfort, enable clinicians to expand care to otherwise hard-to-image patients, such as children, patients challenged because of pain and mobility, and the elderly. The larger space will also help when imaging claustrophobic patients because fewer patients will need sedation or refuse MR imaging services. Patient access is improved for both intensive care patients and MRI-guided interventional procedures, and kinematic studies can be performed easier.

Table: The Verio may prove particularly valuable in treating obese patients, an epidemic afflicting one in three Americans. Studies show that obese people may not be able to access necessary medical care -- particularly medical imaging -- due to the fact that in some cases they exceed a machine's bore capacity and/or table weight. The Verio meets these challenges by offering a bore that is larger than many conventional systems and a 550-lb table-weight capacity.

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