Greater efficiency and potentially reduced costs with new MRI applications

• New simultaneous acquisition technology to significantly reduce 2D scan times by up to 68%¹
• Clinically validated 5-min brain MRI examinations
• Powerful scanner platform offers easy standardization across the MRI fleet
• Introducing synergistic MR/PET – motion-free PET images with MR-based motion compensation

At RSNA 2015, Siemens Healthcare will introduce new applications that will drastically reduce the time needed for MRI examinations of the brain, increasing patient throughput and reducing costs per scan. Brain scans account for around 20 to 25 percent of all MRI examinations, and fast examinations are essential for maintaining an efficient workflow. The number of brain MRI examination is expected to grow in 2016, with an expected 45 million exams (out of the 180 million exams) worldwide of the brain (2).

A new application, Simultaneous Multi-Slice employs an innovative technique to acquire imaging slices simultaneously rather than sequentially – reducing 2D acquisition times by up to a factor of 8. Advanced brain examinations can be very lengthy, and now scanning can be reduced to times compatible for the clinical routine (e.g., up to 68-percent for diffusion tensor imaging). These advanced techniques will be able to be applied to patients with limited tolerance for longer scan times (such as the elderly or children3). Simultaneous Multi-Slice can particularly benefit brain surgery cases through surgical mapping, potentially helping to reduce post-surgical deficits, and ultimately leading to improved efficiency in the utilization of OR resources. Developed under collaboration between Siemens and several partners including Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School and the Centre for Magnetic Resonance Research (CMRR), University of Minnesota, USA, Simultaneous Multi-Slice brings advanced applications into the clinical routine.

A new application called GOBrain4 enables clinically validated brain examinations in just five minutes, and was developed in collaboration with the Department of Radiology and the Athinoula A. Martinos Center at Massachusetts General Hospital in the U.S. Facilitated in part by Siemens’ high-channel density coils and the unique MRI scanning software, DotGO, the clinically essential image orientations and contrasts are acquired at the push of a button. Patient throughput is improved, and costs per scan can potentially be reduced. Shorter scan times are better tolerated by patients, and can help reduce rescans and/or sedation5, which can be time-consuming and costly.

In addition to speed and quality, standardization across systems is also an important element for hospitals when it comes to meeting healthcare efficiency demands. With its syngo MR E11 software platform, Siemens introduces a uniform application platform for the Magnetom family. The first available scanners will be the Magnetom Aera 1.5T and Magnetom Skyra 3T systems, then expanding to the portfolio. The focus, in addition to expanding the application offering, is achieving consistency across the entire fleet of scanners and managing these effectively. One consistent user interface, as well as intuitive protocol optimization allowed by the DotGO scanning software further aid in providing standardization and reproducibility. The syngo MR E11 software platform and applications are also designed for the MR-PET scanner Biograph mMR5, which has now scanned over 50,000 patients. A new technology called BodyCOMPASS5 is designed to enable motion-free PET images with MR-based motion compensation beyond gating, which could be particularly beneficial in delineating abdominal and lung lesions which are prone to motion. This and other planned improvements with the new software show the synergistic potential of the Biograph mMR, as it utilizes the MR information to improve PET beyond its current capabilities. An advanced and unique whole-body PET Attenuation Correction with a 5-compartment is planned to be available to also include bones, and is designed to result in an even better comparability to PET/CT.

1 For Diffusion MRI measured on MAGNETOM Prisma with Head/Neck 64

2 Calculation represents assumption based on numbers from 2014 IMV Market Report

3 MR scanning has not been established as safe for imaging fetuses and infants under two years of age. The responsible physician must evaluate the benefit of the MRI examination in comparison to other imaging procedures.

4 Prakkamakul et al. Qualitative comparison of a 5 minute general optimized brain protocol and a conventional magnetic resonance protocol for brain imaging. Manuscript submitted for publication.

5 syngo MR E11 for Biograph mMR is currently under development, it is not for sale in the U.S. and other countries. Its future availability cannot be guaranteed.

This press release and press pictures are available at www.siemens.com/press/RSNA2015

For further information please see www.siemens.com/syngo-mr-e11

Siemens AG (Berlin and Munich) is a global technology powerhouse that has stood for engineering excellence, innovation, quality, reliability and internationality for more than 165 years. The company is active in more than 200 countries, focusing on the areas of electrification, automation and digitalization. One of the world’s largest producers of energy-efficient, resource-saving technologies, Siemens is No. 1 in offshore wind turbine construction, a leading supplier of gas and steam turbines for power generation, a major provider of power transmission solutions and a pioneer in infrastructure solutions as well as automation, drive and software solutions for industry. The company is also a leading provider of medical imaging equipment – such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging systems – and a leader in laboratory diagnostics as well as clinical IT. In fiscal 2015, which ended on September 30, 2015, Siemens generated revenue of €75.6 billion and net income of €7.4 billion. At the end of September 2015, the company had around 348,000 employees worldwide.

Further information is available on the Internet at www.siemens.com

Reference Number: PR2015110096HCEN

Contact
Mr. Thorsten Opderbeck
Siemens Healthcare GmbH
Siemens AG

Henkestr. 127

91052 Erlangen

Germany

Tel: +49 (9131) 84-4906

thorsten.opderbeck​@siemens.com