The first digital broadband magnetic resonance imaging device is now available in the United States.

Dutch electronics giant Royal Philips Electronics said Wednesday it received Food and Drug Administration 510(k) clearance last month for its Ingenia MRI 1.5T and 3T systems.

The systems, which debuted at the Radiological Society of North America's annual conference in November, allow direct digital conversion of the signal on the coils for the first time.
Philips said the 70-centimeter bore devices, which researchers began working on eight years ago, result in a 40 percent better signal-to-noise ratio and faster scanning times.

Scanning takes around 8 minutes for a liver, versus 20 minutes from other magnets, the company said at RSNA. Philips also hopes that the device will allow for cheaper upgrades over the 8-10 year life of the system, as it does away with the external spectrometer cabinet.

The company also hopes the new layout cuts down on patient set-up times. The company said researchers found a 30 percent uptick in throughput when compared against the Philips Achieva systems.

"Digital RF design and the dStream concept are clearly the future," Dr. Suresh K. Mukherji, the chief of neuroradiology at the University of Michigan Health System, said in a statement provided by Philips. Mukherji said the image quality improvements made the system "one of the best, if not the best" 3T MRI machine for neuro imaging.

At RSNA, Philips said units are currently installed at three test sites in the United States.

When reached by DOTmed News, Philips would only say systems were "competitively priced." However, at RSNA, Philips said the 1.5T model would likely go for around $1.5 million and the 3T for $2.5 million.

The company's taking orders now.

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