MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scans provide extraordinarily clear
images of the human body and are commonly used to diagnose a wide range
of illnesses and injuries, such as Alzheimer’s disease, cancerous
tumors, and torn ligaments. Analog
Devices, Inc. (NYSE: ADI), the leading provider of data conversion
technology and longtime collaborator with the medical imaging industry,
today introduced a breakthrough in data conversion that gives clinicians
and radiologists the superior image clarity they need to see smaller
anatomical structures and abnormalities, such as breast cancer cells,
than ever before.
“The AD5791 establishes new benchmarks in image clarity, resolution, and
contrast in medical imaging systems – all system design requirements
needed to ensure radiologists can quickly and accurately diagnose
patients”
ADI’s
AD5791 high-accuracy 20-bit digital-to-analog converter (DAC), the
industry’s first to feature true 1-ppm (parts per million) resolution
and accuracy, provides four times greater accuracy and four times more
resolution than competing converters. 1-ppm analog system design
typically entails the complex engineering challenges involved with
combining multiple lower-resolution DACs with a significant number of
discrete components and support ICs—along with considerable development
risk and costly amounts of engineering time—to optimize circuit
parameters, minimize errors, and design complex auto-calibration
circuitry. The AD5791, with its 1-ppm resolution and accuracy, low noise
(sub 1 ppm), fast refresh rates (1 µs), and extremely low output drift
(sub 1 ppm), significantly simplifies the design task, lowers
development cost and reduces risk. Click
here to watch a video on the features of the AD5791.
In MRI systems, this breakthrough technology improves image quality,
enables precise control of the magnetic gradient in high-field-strength
applications, and results in superior image resolution and contrast. The
low noise, drift, and linearity performance of the AD5791 maximizes
operational up-time by eliminating the need to take the MRI system
offline for system calibration cycles. The new converter also reduces
the necessity for complex calibration algorithms, resulting in lower
engineering and system maintenance costs. In addition to MRI systems,
other applications for the AD5791 include test and measurement systems,
high-end scientific and aerospace instrumentation, communications
equipment, and industrial control systems.
Enhancements in data conversion allow imaging system designers to
improve image clarity and speed clinicians’ ability to diagnose
illnesses at an early stage and make timely treatment possible. The
AD5791 DAC delivers extremely low-noise performance, lessening unwanted
image artifacts and thereby reducing the need for multiple MRI scans.
Additionally, lower image-error rates and higher availability ensure
that healthcare facilities can effectively treat more patients within a
shorter time period.
More than 60 million diagnostic MRI procedures are performed worldwide
each year. A non-invasive technique, MRI takes images of the human body
without using ionizing radiation, making it a method of choice to
diagnose many different injuries and conditions because of its ability
to tailor the exam to meet specific imaging parameters such as
the field of view.
“The AD5791 establishes new benchmarks in image clarity, resolution, and
contrast in medical imaging systems – all system design requirements
needed to ensure radiologists can quickly and accurately diagnose
patients,” said Patrick O’Doherty, vice president for the Healthcare
Group, Analog Devices. “For system architects, the 1-ppm performance
level makes a single DAC architecture possible, reducing design
footprint and cost. This means that for the first time designers are
able to free up a large portion of the system error budget, the savings
of which can be applied to critical components in other subsystems or to
improve the overall MRI performance.”