MR Knee Coil Enables Better Clinical Accuracy for Bariatric Imaging

An extra-large knee coil with a 22-cm interior diameter has been developed for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and is particularly suited for imaging of bariatric patients.

With obesity on the rise, today's radiology departments are continually challenged to provide diagnostic imaging solutions to improve clinical accuracy for bariatric imaging without sacrificing patient care. As part of its commitment to develop patient-focused MR imaging technology to accommodate a range of patient types, including bariatrics, Toshiba Medical Systems (Tokyo, Japan) has announced US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance for the extra-large knee Array coil for the Vantage Titan MR system. Toshiba is the first diagnostic imaging vendor to offer an extra-large knee coil with a 22 cm interior diameter for MRI

Properly fitting coils are vital to diagnose precisely a patient's condition, particularly in bariatric imaging where coils are frequently too small to accommodate patients. The wide diameter of the extra-large knee array coil can accommodate most bariatric patients, creating a more comfortable exam for the patient and better accuracy for the clinician. The extra-large knee array coil can be used when imaging nonbariatric patients as well; its wide diameter is ideal for imaging a flexed or bent knee, which is useful when patients cannot straighten their leg due to injury or a medical condition.

"By listening to customer feedback about the changing needs of patients, we learned that it is important to design products that will provide quality images without sacrificing patient care," said Stuart Clarkson, director, MR business unit, Toshiba. "The coil can accommodate imaging bariatric patients and general population patients, allowing healthcare providers to use one knee coil for a range of procedures."

Toshiba's extra-large knee array coil can be used for most routine and advanced MR knee studies, including assessing cartilage, fractures, or knee replacement. It is available to current and new Vantage Titan customers. Its performance specifications include: transmit-receive six-channel array coil design; 22-cm interior diameter; designed to acquire high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) images; removable upper coil: an attachment to ease patient positioning; SPEEDER parallel processing to support faster scanning techniques; and robust off-center imaging capabilities.

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