Mayo installs new open-bore Siemens Magnetom Espree 1.5T

Siemens Medical Solutions has installed an open bore Magnetom Espree 1.5 Tesla MRI system at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla.

The system combines a larger opening for obese and claustrophobic patients with the ability to capture high-field quality diagnostic images and maximize patient comfort, Siemens said.

"This is going to increase our efficiency and patient convenience," said Jerald Pietan, MD, chair of Mayo's department of radiology. "The patient-friendly design of this magnet will make it easier for large patients and those with claustrophobia to have a MRI examination which produces quality images. This can reduce the need to repeat and interrupt exams."

Siemens unveiled the unit in July. It features a bore opening of nearly 2.3 feet in diameter and almost one foot of free space between a patient's head and the magnet. The Espree also features a 1.5 Tesla magnet that is approximately four feet long, said Siemens.

The Espree unit incorporates Siemens' Tim (total imaging matrix) technology that enables acquisition of the high-resolution images in a shorter time.

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