Siemens spreads Tim around
Siemens Medical Solutions introduced its latest Tim (Total imaging matrix) driven MRI systems, and also showcased its new T-class and I-class MAGNETOM imaging systems and other MRI technologies at RSNA 2006 in Chicago.

The company’s latest technology powered by Tim is syngo TimCT – which offers Continuous Table Move for scanning comparable to computed tomography (CT) – now available with Siemens T-class systems for the MAGNETOM Trio, MAGNETOM Avanto and MAGNETOM Espree. This technology allows physicians to acquire one complete planning scan, or peripheral angiography, in a single, continuous move. With TimCT, the table is not required to stay in a fixed position to acquire images, the company said.

The new T-class generation Tim systems enable shorter order-to-report turnaround time and support workflow throughout the entire radiology process, streamlining ordering, planning, processing and distribution, Siemens said. Tim Workflow Suite enables more efficient planning and automatic real-time composing, filtering and processing. T-class also helps improve workflow beyond the scanner with the new syngo Chorus MR, which integrates the MRI scanner into RIS and PACS, from data retrieval through distribution and billing. syngo Chorus MR also provides protocols planning and standardization of protocols across multiple scanners directly from the RIS.

In addition to the T-class, Tim systems - the MAGNETOM Trio, MAGNETOM Avanto and MAGNETOM Espree - are also available in the new I-class, featuring:
  • syngo TWIST, which enables 4D MR Angiography (MRA), obtaining arterial and venous phases in one scan and providing robust bilateral MRA, even in cases of a severe stenosis;
  • syngo BLADE, for neurological, orthopedic and abdominal procedures, corrects for motion artifacts in all body regions, even in cases of severe movement;
  • syngo GRACE, which enables breast single voxel spectroscopy, offering user-defined water or lipid signal suppression;
  • syngo DTI Tractography, which enables 3D visualization of white matter tracts in the brain for improved neurosurgical planning, based on diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) up to 256 directions;
  • syngo Expert-i, provides the ability  to remotely access the MRI suite from nearly anywhere within the enterprise network, making it possible to address difficult clinical questions via a networked computer while a patient is being scanned;
  • AutoAlign Spine, which allows MR technologists to easily position double-oblique slices along spinal disks with one click;
  • PhoenixZIP, which quickly retrieves the entire protocol information in one easy drag-and-drop step, enabling reproducible follow-up examinations.
Siemens also showcased a “Power-class” of the company’s lower-cost MAGNETOM Symphony system, which supports syngo BLADE as well as:
  • syngo SWI (Susceptibility Weighted Imaging) is a technique that reveals blood products and venous structures with considerable clarity;   
  • syngo VIEWS, for bilateral breast imaging with high spatial and temporal resolution; and
  • New composing tools for MRA that allow measurement on composed images (including angle and distance).
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