Siemens Healthcare has released new MR applications designed to help hospitals reduce the time needed for MR imaging in neurology.
The company noted that an estimated 20% to 25% of all MR examinations are neurological, with the number expected to grow in 2016. Siemens' new applications have therefore been designed to help organizations increase patient throughput to maintain an efficient workflow.
One of the new tools, Simultaneous Multi-Slice (SMS) EPI, is designed to acquire imaging slices simultaneously rather than sequentially to reduce 2D acquisition times. The application also integrates diffusion-tensor imaging (DTI) and blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) imaging into the clinical routine, benefiting surgical neurology cases through surgical mapping.
A second application, GoBrain, enables clinically validated brain examinations in five minutes, in part through Siemens' high-channel density coils and DotGo software. This rapid acquisition can improve patient throughput and potentially decrease costs per scan, according to the company.
Siemens has also introduced its syngo MR E11 software platform for Magnetom MRI scanners and its Biograph mMR PET/MRI system.
