"Instead of having 4 channels, most current scanners are 8 channels and many are 16 channels. Siemens has a system with virtually no limit on the number of channels that can be plugged in," observed Randall Jones, PhD, MBA, President,Resonance Innovations LLC, Omaha, NE. "It's a channel war to see who has the most channels and a Tesla war to see who can provide clinical scanners cost effectively at a higher field strength."

In addition to 3T adoption and added channels, other broader trends in MRI use also impact coil design and production. Examples include the growing promise of specialized applications like breast imaging, fMRI, pediatric applications, advanced imaging software, head/neck/spine imaging, and highly specializedapplications like interventional coils for radiation oncology or surgical brain applications.

You can't separate the coil from the MR either technologically or in terms of business trends. "MR doesn't exist without a coil and coils don't exist without MR so whatever happens to the MR business is pretty much what's happening to the coils," said Vivek Bhatt, General Manager, MRI Coils, GE Healthcare, Waukesha, WI. "A growth in new types of procedures, the aging population and a downward pressure on costs will define MR and MR coils as we go forward."

In some cases MR-and MR coils-may provide cost effective alternatives to surgery, which may propel the use of this modality in the future. "MR is in a little better situation [than other modalities]," Bhatt added. "Today you may have to do a biopsy of the liver to figure out the pathology, but tomorrow we may be able with great specificity, to figure out whether that liver iscancerous or not by using MR elastography...Whether it's new applications or functional imaging, coils have a key part to play in expanding the MR arena."

Common Repairs Require Uncommon Skill


It is absolutely critical to use an expert repair shop and most of these also specialize in manufacturing, engineering or testing of equipment. Repair shops need to know how hardware and software work together in advanced imaging systems as well as where to get non-ferrous metal replacement parts such as capacitors.

"MRI coil repair requires a special technical skill set that is typically developed and refined over many years. Not only must there be a good understanding of RF and antenna theory but you must also understand the various MRI systems and their coil interface," said Rick Sagadin, President, Carolina Medical Parts, Winston Salem, NC. "Each coil manufacturer develops coils usingtheir own design parameters so while many coils look the same on the outside they are radically different inside."

More Industry Reports