Philips' novel MR technology overcomes 3T's body pitfalls

(DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING) -- Neurological and musculoskeletal imaging are spectacular at 3T, thanks to its higher signal to noise ratio compared with lower field strengths. Radiologists have long wished the same were true in the rest of the body, where dielectric shading can obscure signs of disease, as in the case of breast and liver cancers. Further limiting the clinical use of 3T has been the potential for excessive tissue heating as measured by 3T's specific absorption rate.

In October last year Philips Healthcare began shipping what company executives say is the solution to both problems: the Achieva 3.0T TX. The 3T scanner's MultiTransmit parallel RF, which execs say is compatible as an upgrade with 95% of Philips' installed 3T systems, adjusts multiple radiofrequency transmissions to the unique shape of each patient. This tailoring cancels out most or all of the dielectric shading artifacts that might otherwise occur and reduces the amount of energy deposited in the patient during the scan, they say.

Read more at http://www.diagnosticimaging.com