GE Healthcare Optima MR430s 1.5T Specialty Scanner Receives FDA Clearance
GE Healthcare introduces a new specialty scanner with powerful 1.5T magnet
Improves patient comfort because only targeted anatomy needs to be inside the scanner
Compact size reduces healthcare siting, installation and operating costs compared to a full-body MR system
Delivers 1.5T quality images with industry-leading gradients in a compact, patient-friendly design
Waukesha, Wisconsin February 24, 2011— GE Healthcare today announced FDA clearance of the Optima™ MR430s, a new specialty scanner that delivers the comfort patients appreciate and the 1.5T image quality radiologists require. The Optima MR430s is a musculoskeletal magnetic resonance system that delivers precise imaging of the arm, including elbow, wrist and hand, or the leg, including knee, ankle and foot.
Extremely Compact, Surprisingly Powerful
The Optima MR430s is a small, efficient MR system featuring a compact design. The system has industry leading gradients, delivering 70mT/m of strength and 300T/m/s of slew rate. Short echo spacing and high signal to noise ratio enable high resolution and sharp images. The power of the system comes in a small footprint of approximately 222 square feet (20.62 square meters).
“Our goal is to guide our patients to the right MRI scanner for their needs,” said William B. Morrison, M.D., Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia. “For those patients who need extremities scanned, the first goal is comfort. The second is to keep patients still so we can get the best image consistency. The quicker the patient is in and out, the better it is for everyone. We’re assured that we get excellent quality images.”
Extremely Comfortable, Surprisingly Clear
Unlike the awkward and uncomfortable positions sometimes required for extremity scanning in whole-body systems, patients can relax in a padded chair beside the scanner, reclining comfortably much like they would in a favorite chair at home. Yet the Optima MR430s features a high-strength 1.5T magnet that ensures uncompromised image quality. And, because a more relaxed patient is less prone to moving around, the resulting images are likely to be even more clear and consistent.
For technologists, the innovative design of the Optima MR430s helps improve productivity by alleviating time-consuming tasks, such as positioning patients and managing their anxiety. Six iso-centric dedicated RF coils can accommodate a full range of patient sizes and anatomies. The system’s design also ensures that the targeted anatomy is precisely positioned at the magnet’s isocenter and coil proximity increases signal to noise ratio for high clarity—even in small anatomies.
“Greater patient comfort with uncompromised image quality is at the heart of the design of this system,” says Paritosh Dhawale, general manager of Specialty MR for GE Healthcare. “Because their head remains outside of the scanner, the patient experience is more comfortable than that of a conventional MR scanner. Additionally, children may be joined by an adult in the exam room. Overall, these features combine to provide a remarkably improved MRI experience for the patient.”
“From start to finish, the scan was a piece of cake,” said Abigail Mentzer, ballet dancer with the Pennsylvania Ballet Company. “I popped into the clinic, sat in the comfy chair, stuck my foot in and read a book. Unlike the whole-body scanners, it wasn’t scary at all—it all was easy, simple and fast.”
Extremely Valuable, Surprisingly Affordable
The Optima MR430s helps alleviate the demand on a hospital’s full-body scanner. As an addition to a busy radiology department, the system can relieve patient backlogs to boost department efficiency, offering healthcare providers a smart investment at a low total cost of ownership. A small footprint allows for easy siting and lower installation costs, while the lightweight magnet fits through standard doors.
“The Optima MR430s demonstrates our commitment to delivering better health for more people,” according to Jim Davis, general manager for GE Healthcare’s Magnetic Resonance Imaging business. “By making MR accessible to more patients and providing MR imaging that’s both advanced and cost-effective, the Optima MR430s is a great example of performance in action.”
About GE Healthcare:
GE Healthcare provides transformational medical technologies and services that are shaping a new age of patient care. Our broad expertise in medical imaging and information technologies, medical diagnostics, patient monitoring systems, drug discovery, biopharmaceutical manufacturing technologies, performance improvement and performance solutions services help our customers to deliver better care to more people around the world at a lower cost. In addition, we partner with healthcare leaders, striving to leverage the global policy change necessary to implement a successful shift to sustainable healthcare systems.