GE Relaunches Signa MRI 

Nearly two years ago GE rebranded its MRI line under the Signa name. At RSNA 2015 it showcased advancements in applications as well as the hardware with its Signa Pioneer 3.0T, Signa Explorer and Signa Creator 1.5T MRI scanners. 

The Signa Pioneer also features technology called Total Digital Imaging (TDI) enabling improved image quality and increasing SNR by up to 25 percent. TDI is composed of Direct Digital Interface (DDI), Digital Surround Technology (DST) and Digital Micro Switching (DMS). DDI employs an independent analog-to-digital converter to digitize inputs from each of the 97 RF channels. Every input is captured and every signal is digitized; DST combines the digital signal from every surface coil element with the signal from the integrated RF body coil resulting in richer, higher SNR spine and body images with superior homogeneity and uniformity; and DMS is a significant advancement in RF coil design with intelligent Micro Electro-Mechanical Switches (MEMS) that support ultra-fast coil switching, which enables future expansion of Zero TE imaging capabilities. Zero TE enables imaging of tissues that are conventionally difficult to see with MRI, such as cortical bone, ligaments and tendons.

Both Signa Creator and Signa Explorer 1.5T MR scanners are designed to lower total cost of ownership and use 34 percent less power than previous-generation MRI systems and require a smaller footprint for installation.