What to Know About the Philips MRI Machines

Philips Medical Systems has been in the imaging business since the early 1980s as a provider of x-ray and ultrasound systems. In the mid 1980s, the company became an MRI manufacturer and developed its own 1.5T MRI machine called the proton. In 2001, it acquired Marconi Medical Imaging (formally Picker International) that was a long-time manufacturer of medical imaging equipment including x-ray, Nuclear Medicine cameras, fluoroscopy, ultrasound, CT, and MRI machines. Since acquiring Marconi, Philips has made significant industry-leading advances in MRI scanning technology. Throughout this article, we will discuss some of the industry-changing advances that Phillips has made in MRI imaging. To conclude, we have outlined an extensive list of Philips’ models of MRI machines that are available in both new and refurbished configurations.

2019 Philips MRI Machine Advancements

At the 2018 Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) conference, Philips introduced the new 3.0T Ingenia Elition MRI machine. It also debuted the 1.5T Ambition X scanner which is a closed helium-free MRI, otherwise known by its market name, the BlueSeal system. The unit dramatically reduces the use of liquid helium to near zero. Conversely, a typical MR scanner can use up to 1,500 to 2,000 liters of liquid helium, which makes it a super conducting magnet. The Philips BlueSeal uses seven (7) liters of liquid helium in a closed system. This reduction has three unique properties in technology:

1. The magnetic field can be turned off, which is especially helpful if a metallic device becomes attached to the scanner. Traditionally when this occurs, it requires qualified service individuals to ramp the system down, potentially interrupting service for days.
2. No ventilation pipe is required to site the system. This is an expensive part of typical MRI installation and is required if the system quenches.
3. With reduced liquid in the magnet, the system is nearly 2,000 pounds lighter than a traditional MRI machine.

Additional Services Include:

1. Compressed sense – improves 2D and 3D scan times by use of an advanced acquisition platform that reduces exam time by as much as 50%.
2. Vitalscreen – allows for scout and setting up an exam in about one minute. Typically, two technologists are required to optimally operate a MR scanner. The new Philips MRI platform automates planning, scanning, and processing of exams, so only one technologist is required to operate the scanner.
3. 3D APT (Amide Proton Transfer) – a unique, contrast-free, brain MR imaging sequence that is used to differentiate between low and high-grade Neuro Gliomas.
4. Automated quality assurance tools – added speeds with quality control startup and assists with monitoring and maintaining consistent image quality.

Prior Philips MRI Machine Advancements

Ingenia MRI System Breakthrough Technology

In 2010, Philips introduced the Ingenia 1.5T and 3T MRI machines with dStream technology. MRIs historically had issues with obtaining a clean signal. However, over time, MRI manufacturers continued to add elements to the coils and channels to their systems to gain more signal from exams. Very quickly, MRI machines went from a typical configuration of four or eight channels to 16 and even 32 channel scanners. Additional wiring and parallel imaging technology added signal on the wires in an analog system, adding extraneous noise from the RF coils to the processing computers, commonly known as "signal noise” in the MRI world. Vendors were continuing to search for technology solutions to increase the signal-to-noise ratio. Typically, a higher signal-to-noise ratio is the goal for equipment manufacturers. Philips’ new MRI machine design digitized the signal at the coil and transferred the data over fiber optic cables to the processing computer instead of using shielded copper wires, analog filters, and multiple signal amplifiers. Using this technology, the signal was less apt to be affected by cross talk and noise than is seen on analog systems. This change in technology produced large increases in signal because the analog to digital converters were found in the RF coils, instead of outside of the MR room.

Additional advances found in the Philips Ingenia system were digital coils embedded in the table, a 70cm bore size, and the utilization of powerful gradient technology. iPatient workflow manager added a standardized way to image patients and increase efficiency fo patient setup times.

Advanced software applications can be added that allow for post processing of exams for the following exam type:

• Abdomen (routine and Enterography, Elastography procedures)
• Angio (Neuro and Body MR Angiography)
• Brain
• Breast
• Cardiac
• Musculoskeletal
• Neuro and Neurovascular (including MRA exams)
• Spine

New 1.5T MRI Machines

Ingenia 1.5T S: delivers fast, robust scanning methods based on dStream digital quality and speed, along with Premium IQ* for more information in the same time slot.

• 70 cm bore
• Max. number of slices: 1024
• Output power: 18 kW
• dStream
• iPatient

Ingenia 1.5T (Bid $1,054,789.95)

• 70 cm Bore
• Max. number of slices: 1024
• Output power: 18 kW
• dStream
• iPatient

Ingenia Ambition 1.5T X: world’s first MRI with helium-free feature.

• 70 cm bore
• Helium-free + BlueSeal magnet
• Compressed SENSE
• Touchless patient setup
• Omega HP gradients

Ingenia Ambition 1.5T S

• 70 cm bore
• Helium-free + BlueSeal magnet
• Compressed SENSE
• Omega gradients

Both Ambition X and S have the audio-visual experience

New 3.0T MRI Machines

Ingenia 3.0T CX

• 50 cm Bore

Ingenia 3.0T

• 70 cm Bore
• Output power 2 x 18kW
• dStream
• iPatient

Ingenia Elition 3.0T X (Bid $1,189,000)

• 70 cm Bore
• Low noise
• Vega HP Gradients
• Compressed SENSE
• VitalScreen
• 3D APT (Amide Proton Transfer)

Ingenia Elition 3.0T S

• 70 cm Bore
• Low noise
• Vega Gradients
• Compressed SENSE
• VitalScreen
• 3D APT

Both Elition X and S have the audio-visual experience

Refurbished Options

Achieva 1.5T – DS

• 8,16, or 32 channels
• Available with Pulsar gradient, Nova gradient, and Nova Dual gradient

Achieva 1.5 T - DS Advance

• 8,16, or 32 channels
• Available with new, powerful Pulsar HP gradients.

Ingenia 1.5T – DS

Achieva 3.0T (TX) – DS

There is a model to fit almost every healthcare organization’s needs and the experts at Meridian Leasing are here to help find the best fit. For new equipment, we can provide a lease or financial structure that allows you to acquire the right Philips MRI machine to fit your clinical and financial needs. For additional cost savings or to help meet unbudgeted needs, we can source, supply, and finance a quality refurbished MRI machine. To get started, contact our medical equipment specialist by phone at +1 (855) 980-4578 or send an email to [email protected] for more details or to speak with a medical equipment specialist.