Images from the Niche Compact, Large Aperture Extremity and Neonatal MRI
0.2T Neodymium magnet, 500Kg weight, 750x200mm aperture, 10ppm uniformity over 150mm DSV, Silent operation, Low SAR and dB/dt. Ideal for Ortho clinics and neonates on the NICU. The large aperture allows flexion of the knee to be imaged.
Magnets have been in operation without any field loss, downtime or the need for power or cryogens since 1996. The system has been used in portable applications, as discussed in our world patent treaty patent (WO1995010786A2) in 1995, which also included patient grounding for use without a shielded room. The low power spectrometer has been operated from solar panels (Paley et al., ISMRM abstract, Paris meeting, 2018). The systems have been extremely economical to run with minimal service costs and a low purchase or lease price.
Figure from the patent mentioned above with local screening and movable magnets with a fully integrated spectrometer in a single enclosure run from a single power outlet. The first portable MRI system was installed at the Middlesex Hospital in London in 1994 and was moved around the hospital for different extremity studies such as biopsy needle monitoring and integrated MRI and Ultrasound.
Videos of SiMAGIN MRI simulation clinical and MR physics workflow in operation
SiMAGIN is based on software from the clinically proven, FDA 510K cleared Niche scanner seen above, which has been used in orthopaedic clinics and the NICU for decades. The simulation software uses high resolution 3D anatomical models of MRI parameters like Proton Density, T1, T2, T2* etc. together with the the Bloch equations and other physics models to rapidly simulate the MRI process and generate realistic images with appropriate noise and artifacts. The simulator follows an 8 step clinical and MRI physics training workflow which is described in the videos below. The software also contains a built in Learning Management System including detailed physics lectures, context specific exercises, monitoring of student progress and student feedback modules in a fully integrated package with no need for any external software. The videos below go through the 8 steps of the workflow in more detail.
Step 1- Starting the Scan and Entering the Patient Information
Step 2 – Entering the Referring and Ordering Physicians, the Clinical Reason for the scan and checking the patient does not have Contra-Indications to MRI
Step 3 – Selecting and editing the Clinical Protocol
Steps 4 and 5 Running the localizer and planning
Step 6 – Prescan showing coil tuning, flip angle sweep and tuning to resonance
Step 7 – Simulation of different sequences and scan parameters in real time
Step 7 continued. Selecting the slice to be simulated, resolution and simulation speed
Step 7 continued. The effects of sequence and scanner parameters on images.
Step 7 continued – Lesions and Artifacts
Step 7 – Continuing to the Next Sequence in the Protocol
Step 8 – Image Display, Review and Zoom modes
Lectures and Exercises
The Learning Management System
Videos of SiMAGIN MRI simulation clinical and MR physics workflow in operation