Coil Technology Provides Better MR Image, Lowers Costs

New high-temperature superconducting (HTS) radiofrequency (RF) coil technology designed for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides a higher signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in the same field-of-view (FOV).

The result of this advanced technology means faster exams, which improve patient tolerance for MR imaging; fewer retakes improves throughput and lowers cost. The coils also improve healthcare providers' ability to provide diagnostic MR services, improving overall patient access to MR technology, thereby improving patient care globally.

Historically, the quality and clinical utility of MRI depended on the strength of the magnetic field generated by the magnet--the higher the magnetic field, the better the image quality. This long-term industry trend to improve the image quality of MRI images by increasing magnetic field strength, however, is reaching a plateau, due to the potential harmful effects beyond the 3-Tesla range. Therefore, 3T is the maximum field strength allowed by US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Europe Regulations for human clinical diagnosis. Moreover, the current cost of MRI technology is also considered high by most developing countries' standards. There is an urgent need for an innovative solution to produce higher MR image quality at more cost-effective levels.

Frost & Sullivan (Palo Alto, CA, USA), a global consulting and market research firm, bestowed Time Medical (Singapore) the 2010 Asia Pacific Medical Imaging Product Innovation of the Year award in recognition of the company's successful commercialization of its breakthrough HTS technology and innovative MR systems.

Founder and CEO of Time Medical, Prof Q.Y. Ma received the award personally and delivered a thank-you speech, commenting, "Our high temperature superconducting [HTS] coil technology has progressed tremendously in the last year. We successfully commercialized HTS RF coil that could achieve 200-500% improvement in imaging quality, setting new standards in the MRI market. Our disruptive technology produces superior imaging quality and also reduces healthcare cost significantly, making medical diagnosis more affordable to the underserved mass population in developing countries, particularly Asia. A recent report indicates that in China, 80% of healthcare cost was spent on the last month of treatment. In [the] US, it's 55%. The global healthcare trend today is moving from [a] treatment- to prevention- focus, implying early diagnosis using effective and affordable medical devices is the solution. This award further encouraged us to develop more high performance and low cost MR systems to meet the need. We already have two such MR systems in the market--whole body 0.35T PICA and our dedicated orthopedic 0.2T MONA systems. We are [also] developing dedicated neonatal and breast MRIs. All these systems will be equipped with HTS technology to provide superb image quality to allow doctors to see more. Our systems also increase patient throughput, helping hospitals improve their bottom line without having to increase cost to patients.”

Time Medical was founded by a group of scientists from Columbia University (New York, NY, USA), Harvard Medical School (Boston, MA, USA), and the University of Hong Kong. Led by Prof. Q.Y. Ma, the R&D team pioneered the use of HTS materials in MRI and is the first in the world to develop superconducting RF coil that overcomes the imaging limit of conventional copper coils, and provides an improvement in signal-to-noise ratio, which increases image quality significantly by 200-500% without a commensurate increase in magnetic field strength.

The team has generated over 10 patents, published more than 50 papers in the medical device field, and owns core intellectual properties (IPs) licensed from Columbia University. Time Medical holds close relationship with world-leading medical research centers such as University of California at San Diego, Harvard University, Columbia, and many medical centers in Asia.

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