MR Instruments shows advances in 7 Tesla MR

MR Instruments Inc. recently displayed  further advancements toward commercialization of its TEM technology-based 7 Tesla product line at the University of Minnesota workshop on ultra high-field MR imaging.

Using proprietary ICE (Inductively Coupled Elements) technology based on the company's TEM (Transverse Electro Magnetic) patents, the company presented demonstrations in advanced areas of MR imaging, fMRI (functional MRI) and MRS (MR Spectroscopy). In 2006, MR Instruments will release an entire family of commercialized products for these applications.

"Conventional coil design has excessive power consumption and field uniformity issues that cause excessive heating in the human body and compromise sensitivity in advanced MR applications," says J. Thomas Vaughan, MD, professor of radiology research and co-director of the University of Minnesota's Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, and inventor of the TEM principles that apply to MR Instruments' technology.

"In contrast, our patented TEM technology utilizes the MR system's RF power with remarkable efficiency, thereby reducing scan time, overcoming safety concerns, and producing levels of detail that were previously unobtainable," said Vaughan, "unlocking paths of understanding that will lead to treatment and cures for the most complex of diseases."

MR Instruments also offers a full complement of RF coils for MRI scanners of 3 Tesla strength -- the most prominent ultra high-field system in the clinical environment today.

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