by
Gus Iversen, Editor in Chief | October 14, 2025
UT Health San Antonio will become the first institution in Texas to deploy Siemens Healthineers' MAGNETOM 7-Tesla Terra.X MR system when its new Center for Brain Health opens in December 2025.
The 7T Terra.X scanner, recently installed at the new facility, offers significantly higher resolution than standard 1.5T or 3T systems, enabling more detailed views of complex brain structures such as the brainstem and temporal lobes. The technology is expected to aid in the diagnosis and study of neurological conditions including dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s, and multiple sclerosis.
“This will improve detection of small metastases, multiple sclerosis lesions, and more,” said Ray Lee, Ph.D., radiologist at UT Health San Antonio and associate professor of radiology at the university’s Long School of Medicine. “It does not replace the other MR systems... but rather expands what is possible.”
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The 50,000-pound system generates a magnetic field strength more than 140,000 times greater than Earth’s, enhancing image clarity and contrast. According to UT Health, it can detect subtle differences in tissue that may be missed on lower-strength MR systems, such as distinguishing a benign vessel from an aneurysm, without the need for contrast agents.
“This MR lets us see incredible detail, even without contrast, including deep structures like the brainstem, where many diseases begin, and veins where amyloid is cleared,” said Dr. Sudha Seshadri, founding director of the Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases, which will relocate to the new center.
The scanner includes a dynamic parallel transmit system with eight transmitters — an upgrade over traditional dual-transmitter systems — allowing for real-time adjustments to reduce image distortion.
Lee said the scanner can switch between research and FDA-cleared clinical modes in minutes, supporting both ongoing studies and potential patient applications. “We’re right at the transition point where 7T MR is becoming a clinical tool,” he said.
