From the October 2014 issue of HealthCare Business News magazine


With regards to coils, Toshiba is manufacturing a head/neck/spine option for pediatric patients. “Many hospitals use adult-size coils to image infants” says Narayan, “Which leads to sub-optimal image quality for pediatric exams.”

Toshiba’s pediatric suite is ideal for patients weighing up to 50 pounds. Narayan says it’s easier for the technologist to handle than comparable offerings from other vendors, and is light-weight with two flexible coils on it.


Scanning babies in the MR provides unique problems; not only because of the delicacy of the patient, but also their size, rapid development, and inability to follow instructions. Other companies setting out to create better coils for pediatrics and neonates include Sree Medical and LMT incubators.

“One major problem is that babies are not good at controlling their body temperature,” says Vossough, “When they get in the MR we cover them up, but sometimes their temperature does go down.” He says sometimes they have to halt an MR scan because the baby’s temperature, (which they monitor throughout the scan) has gotten too low.

Vossough says the MAGNETOM Prisma 3T offers a significant level of noise reduction thanks to its advanced gradient coils. Because it is quieter, fewer children have to be sedated for their MR procedures, which makes it safer for the patient and speeds along the entire diagnostic process.

Throughput: expediting positive outcomes
Talk to any scanner manufacturer and the same goals come up again and again: better results, lower costs, and faster workflow. Even iMRI, which technically adds time to a procedure, is actually improving throughput by dramatically reducing the likelihood of a costly and time-consuming follow-up procedure. Another aspect of improved throughput is gradient strength, which is on the shortlist for a scanner’s most telling statistics, right alongside Tesla strength and channel count.

Higher gradient strength allows for shorter echo time. “Echo time is when you transmit radiofrequency, then switch it off, then listen for the signal coming back,” says Siemens’ Clarkson. “The size of that echo is quite important because it’s what contributes to making the resulting image. The shorter the echo time, the higher the SNR and the faster the scan.”

Toshiba has made strides in throughput with its Rapid Transport System (RTS), which can transport patients from their hospital bed all the way to the MR scanner. “It is a tabletop on wheels which is prepared with all the coils needed for the scan, as well as any necessary IVs, catheters, or medications,” says Narayan. “The RTS can go anywhere in the hospital, including the elevator. It arrives in the MR and docks over the existing patient couch.” The couch then lifts the tabletop away from the RTF and takes it inside the bore along with the patient.

October 2014 Magazine

Read more stories from the October 2014 issue

Pediatrics Homepage