MRI is the ultimate tool for diagnostic imaging and neuroscience research. Providing morphological images with the highest spatial resolution and unmatched soft tissue contrast as well as unique functional information of the CNS.
Over the course of the last decade, reimbursements for this core scan have been under constant pressure. Improved throughput is now even more crucial.
MR NeuroimagingUnderstanding complexity
Highlights
Be at the forefront of quantitative MRI, maximize MRI productivity in neuroimaging: Siemens MRI offers a comprehensive solution portfolio for diagnostic imaging and neuroscience research. With our latest innovations for brain imaging - MR Fingerprinting*, Simultaneous Multi-Slice and GOBrain - we not only quantify results and maximize productivity, but also bring advanced DTI and BOLD techniques into clinical routine, increase throughput with the industry-only SMS TSE, and reduce the need for sedation and rescans.
MRI Techniques in Multiple Sclerosis: New Diagnostic and Research Developments
MR Fingerprinting* - A giant leap for precision medicine
Magnetic Resonance diagnostics is at the frontier of a paradigm shift. Until now, an MR image has been a mixture of weighted tissue properties, provided by sequential, repetitive data-acquisition with fixed parameters. Diagnostic evaluation has been purely qualitative, and highly dependent on system parameters. Magnetic Resonance Fingerprinting1 (MRF) makes it possible to glean quantitative information from scans that enable decisions based on digital tissue data, not visual impressions. The target anatomy can be described numerically instead of visually
Your benefits:
- Be a pioneer in the clinical research space with MRF
- Robust, repeatable and reproducible - across sites, across scanners, in-vivo
- Acquire quantitative multi-parametric data, simultaneously
Simultaneous Multi-Slice - Accelerate advanced neuro applications for clinical routine
Simultaneous Multi-Slice is a paradigm shift in MRI acquisition. This revolutionary technology helps cut neuro DWI scan times by as much as 68%, with either SMS EPI or Siemens exclusive SMS RESOLVE. SMS significantly improves the temporal resolution for BOLD fMRI, for higher sensitivity or specificity. The Siemens exclusive SMS TSE accelerates your routine neuro exam beyond the reach of the competition.
Your benefits:
- Reduce scan times with Siemens exclusive SMS TSE and RESOLVE
- Bring advanced DTI and BOLD into clinical routine
- Push the limits in brain imaging research with acceleration factors up to 8
GOBrain - Push-button brain exams in 5 minutes2
GOBrain offers clinically validated push-button brain exams in just 5 minutes. With all relevant orientations and contrasts helping to reduce the need for sedation and rescans.
Your benefits:
- Improve diagnostic processes for neurological patients
- Reduce the need for sedation, rescans and call-backs
- Improve patient throughput and reduce costs per scan
Siemens Healthineers exclusive
RESOLVE - Outstanding DWI diagnostic performance
RESOLVE is a diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) technique that reduces blurring and susceptibility artifacts. It is largely free of distortions and delivers sharp imaging at higher spatial resolution. RESOLVE is especially attractive for the evaluation of smaller lesions in a wide range of DWI and DTI examinations of the brain and spine.
Your benefits:
- High resolution DWI with less distortion and less susceptibility
- Evaluation of smaller lesions and increased diagnostic confidence
- High resolution DTI of the brain and spine
Head/Neck 64 - Ultra-fast, high SNR, head and neck imaging
Specially designed to enable highest SNR, large FoV head/neck imaging together with maximal user flexibility and patient comfort.
Your benefits:
- The industry's highest density Head/Neck coil
- Designed for ease of use and high patient comfort
- Open up new fields for exploration
Brain Dot Engine
The Brain Dot Engine, with guided and automated workflows customized to your standard of care, makes general brain exams easier, more reproducible, and more efficient.
Your benefits:
- Motion insensitive scanning - Consistent results for follow-up examinations
- Faster and more efficient patient scheduling
Spine Dot Engine
The Spine Dot Engine optimizes cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine imaging for a wide range of patients and conditions.
Your benefits:
- Reduce wasteful workflow steps
- Focus on the diagnosis
- Be a leader in the growing trend toward 3D imaging
Additional Neurology Applications
ZOOMit
ZOOMit - the first TimTX TrueShape application for clinical use - uses dynamic excitation pulses to achieve selective field-of-view (zoomed) imaging. Zoom into your image to appreciate the smallest details, improve diagnostics and expand research possibilities with ZOOMit, powered by TimTX TrueShape. The results? Faster imaging, less susceptibility artifacts and geometric distortions.
Quiet Suite
Advanced noise reduction technologies are present on all MAGNETOM® scanners. Nevertheless, we have continuously strived to develop technologies that will further lower noise without compromising imaging efficiency and quality. With Quiet Suite, we have addressed the root source - sharp gradient switches - to take noise reduction to a new level.
ASL (Arterial Spin Labeling)
ASL is an MR technique using the water in arterial blood as an endogenous contrast agent to evaluate perfusion non-invasively. ASL provides a robust Pulsed Arterial Spin Labeling sequence which provides in-line calculation of CBF maps from the acquired data. The new pseudo-continous ASL (pcASL) allows larger coverage with more and thinner slices in a shorter acquisition time, resulting in higher perfusion image quality.
SWI (Susceptibility-Weighted Imaging)
SWI is a type of contrast in MRI which exploits the susceptibility differences between tissues. As a result SWI detects substances with different susceptibilities than their neighboring tissues such as deoxygenated blood, products of blood decomposition and microscopic iron deposits much better than conventional MR techniques.
See more applications that answer further challenges in neurological MR imaging
Clinical Practice
Siemens’ global MRI community MAGNETOM World offers peer-to-peer support and information providing first-hand experiences from Prostate MRI users.
Case Studies
Ultrafast Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Acute Neurological Emergencies:
In this study jointly performed by the University Hospital of LMU Munich and the German radiology chain “Die Radiologie”, ultrafast GOBrain has been shown to be diagnostically equivalent to the standard-length neuro protocol in an emergency setting. The ultrafast protocol enables time-optimized diagnostic workup with high sensitivity and specificity in a variety of acute non-traumatic neurological emergencies such as intracranial hemorrhage, chronic infarction or edema. Dr. Kazmierczak and his co-authors conclude that these protocols are a powerful tool in the emergency setting.
High Potential Impact of Simultaneous Multi-Slice Diffusion
Acquisition Strategies on Future Clinical Neuroradiology Practice:
In his article about Simultaneous Multi-Slice Diffusion Timothy Shepherd (M.D., Ph.D.) from the New York University states that diffusion has become a critical component of almost all neuroradiology protocols for the head with potential important roles in spine and neck now being better defined. The most impactful application over the past 25 years has been that diffusion is essential for the diagnosis of acute stroke, a frequent indication for MRI in hospitals throughout the world.
Application Tips
fMRI Made Easy with an Integrated Siemens and NordicNeuroLab Solution:
BOLD fMRI is emerging as standard method of care for presurgical planning – mapping eloquent regions of the brain before brain surgery. What used to be a complicated setup available only to researchers is now available in the clinical radiology department.
Clinical Talks
A 5 Minute Clinical Brain Protocol:
Lawrence Wald, MassachusettsGeneral Hospital (Boston, USA)
9th MAGNETOM World Summit in Oxfordshire, UK
The products/features shown on this webpage are not commercially available in all countries. Due to regulatory reasons their future availability cannot be guaranteed. Please contact your local Siemens Healthineers organization for further details.
* The product is not for sale in the U.S. Its future availability cannot be guaranteed.
1
IMV MR Market Outlook Report. November 2014
2
Medicare Physician Fee Schedule 2015, estimated national average for CPT Code 70551 MRI Brainstem without Dye
3
Boulter DJ, et al. The 5-minute brain MRI: Rapid parallel imaging with 32 channel coil. Paper presented at: ASNR 2014. Proceedings of the 52nd Annual Meeting of the American Society of Neuroradiology; 2014 May 17-22; Montreal, Canada.
Prakkamakul et al. Qualitative comparison of a 5 minute general optimized brain protocol and a conventional magnetic resonance protocol for brain imaging. Manuscript submitted for publication.