FieldStrengthPublication for the Philips MRI Community Issue 33 – December 2007

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Field Strength Issue 33

December 2007

Philips brings business solutions and strengthened performance at RSNA 2007

44 Field Strength Issue 33 - December 2007

Philips brings business solutions and strengthened performance at RSNA 2007

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Imaging sites worldwide seek more effective workflow practices, and many United States MR facilities are struggling to compensate for the Deficit Reduction Act (DRA). That’s why at the 2007 RSNA meeting, Philips displays ample solutions and innovative ways to help customers become more efficient and optimize their MR performance.

Philips Utilization Services help to measure and improveOne solution is Philips Utilization Services program, a management information service that helps Philips customers become more efficient in scanner utilization.

Utilization Services reports on system idle time, time spent preparing patients, sequence acquisition times, actual scan times and the amount of time between scans. The resulting graphs are often a dramatic representation of utilization issues and opportunities for improvement. Users can access their utilization information at any time via Philips’ NetForum website.

Potentially significant benefits to the customer and to patients include an increase in patient throughput, a decrease in patients on a waiting list, and simplified workflow.

“Finding a balance between patient care and day-to-day business decisions is sometimes

difficult. Large-scale market research shows that customers need practical solutions to help their business - and their patients - thrive,” says Andre van Est, senior product manager MR Professional Services at Philips. “Philips Utilization Services provides objective information and actionable direction to managers in search of productivity enhancements and workflow improvements.”

High consistency with SmartExam Spine and Shoulder SmartExam has been already available for brain and knee applications. At RSNA, Philips now also exhibits SmartExam for Spine and Shoulder. The exclusive SmartExam technique ensures high consistency and reproducibility between examinations, both between patients and in follow-up scans on one patient. With its unique anatomy recognition and localization planning method, SmartExam enables fully automated planning, scanning and processing with a single click.

Rampable Achieva XR offers investment protection Achieva XR presents a solution to customers who are undecided about whether to invest in a 1.5T or 3.0T system. Achieva XR is designed around the ultra-short X-series magnet and gradients. At several clinical sites where Achieva XR is currently installed, it functions as a high performance 1.5T system with 3.0T already built-in. See article on page 11 for first customer experiences. Transition to 3.0T is possible without a “forklift upgrade” or construction activity.

New Achieva 1.5T A-series ensures operational excellencePhilips is displaying an even stronger system portfolio this year. A new introduction is Achieva 1.5T A-series, designed for faster imaging and improved performance. Achieva 1.5T A-series features standard SmartExam Brain, a standard 16-channel platform and offers a comprehensive 16-channel coil portfolio.

Coils and powerful features for Achieva 3.0T X-series and Panorama HFONew coils and features further enhance the leading performance of the Achieva 3.0T X-series system and extend the capabilities of the successful Panorama High Field Open system. Just a few examples are presented here.

Achieva XR

Issue 33 - December 2007 Field Strength 5

Black blood two-chamber view. Achieva 3.0T X-series, 32-channel SENSE Cardiac coil

Achieva 3.0T X-series stands for highest detail in musculoskeletal imaging. : Asymmetric TSE improves image quality and reduces scan time.

Achieva 3.0T X-series combines a 530 mm FOV with high spatial resolution (matrix 1056). Exceptional SNR is achieved by the 16-channel SENSE Torso XL coil. Asymmetric TSE and SENSE are used to optimize image quality and reduce scan time.

Panorama HFO’s wide open aperture offers the freedom to position the shoulder in the magnet’s isocenter.

Achieva 1.5T A-series imaging with SENSE Head Spine coil.

3D whole heart imaging with thin slices. Achieva 1.5T, 32-channel SENSE Cardiac coil. Courtesy of Guy’s Hospital London.