Ingenia MRI system is now available in the U.S.: Philips

Royal Philips Electronics (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHI) today announced the United States availability of the Ingenia MRI system, the first-ever digital broadband magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) solution. Previously available in Europe, Canada and Japan, the system has received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Driven by Philips commitment to developing innovative patient care solutions, Ingenia MRI delivers exceptional image clarity, scanning efficiency and scalability designed to advance diagnosis and radiology workflow.

In order to visualize detailed structures within the human body, MRI orchestrates the application of radio frequency (RF), audio frequency and static magnetic fields, the strength of which is measured in Tesla (T) units. Clinicians have long relied on MRI for its exceptional ability to differentiate various soft tissues. Until now, all MRI systems have utilized analog components for the signal acquisition and processing needed to generate patient images. However, the use of analog components during these processes has limited the upper reaches of image clarity and quality.

The Ingenia system introduces, for the first time in MRI, digital signal acquisition and processing directly at the patient. By digitizing the signal directly in the RF receive coil nearest to the patient and transferring and processing the signal in digital form throughout the imaging chain, Ingenia is able to generate up to a 40 percent improvement in signal-to-noise ratio compared to previous generation systems. This digital signal acquisition and processing facilitates the delivery of crisp image clarity to help clinicians make informed decisions for a wide range of clinical procedures, including traditional applications like neuro and musculoskeletal and fast-growing applications like body and cardiac. Ingenia's digital capabilities also overcome the RF channel scalability limitations typical of analog based systems, giving hospitals the flexibility they need to stay on the clinical cutting edge, now and in the future, without expensive hardware upgrades.

The system also eliminates unnecessary exam preparation time and offers a more comfortable patient experience. With an integrated, hidden posterior coil, the 70cm bore system enables whole upper body imaging in just two stations and coverage for total body without manipulation of the patient or coil. These and other features allow users to spend significantly less time on the logistics related to patient set-up, contributing to as much as a 30 percent increase in throughput compared to previous generation systems. The wide bore combined with the large field of view allows for a variety of procedures and the scanning of a variety of patients. Ingenia is available in 1.5T and 3.0T versions.

"Because of the dStream digital RF architecture, the image quality and the improvements in patient workflow, I really feel that Ingenia is one of the best, if not the best 3.0T system available for neuro imaging," said Suresh K. Mukherji, MD, FACR, Professor of Radiology and Chief of Neuroradiology at the University of Michigan Health System. "Digital RF design and the dStream concept are clearly the future."