Lancet Article - Neonatal MRI on the Niche

Dedicated MR systems for orthopaedic and neonatal MRI with full FDA 510K clearance. The Niche was the first ever FDA cleared extremity MRI system to use advanced Neodymium magnetic material to produce a lightweight, easy access 0.2T MRI with extremely low acoustic noise and a large uniform field of 160mm. The small footprint of 500x530mm means the patient does not have to stretch to image their leg as the other leg easily fits down the side of the magnet. No power or cryogens are needed for the magnet, meaning operating costs are extremely low and the spectrometer can be operated from a single mains outlet or even battery power for mobile operation in remote locations anywhere around the globe. System have been operational for over 25 years with minimal maintenance required. Portable versions of the Niche for extremity and head imaging with shielded patient vehicles and RF grounding are covered in our original patent issued in 1993. The Niche system was awarded a Millennium Products Award by the British Design Council in 2000. 

Specialty Scanners has successfully developed an Intra-Operative MR Scanner using an imaginSYS spectrometer with a unique rotational and translational patient handling system providing an excellent platform for diagnostic MRI and real-time MRI-guided interventional procudures. The system has been optimizred for breast MRI but can be used for many other anatomical regions. The superconducting magnet operating at 0.5T is extremely short at 700mm, providing excellent access to the patient for interventions, but has a massive 700mm aperture to allow flexible positioning. An RF screened touch-screen monitor enables the scanner to be fully controlled from the scan room. The software running on the imaginSYS multi-channel spectrometer provides biopsy targetting to the tumour using a surface fiducial marker for the biopsy needle entry and selects the appropriate imaging plane and needle trajectory. 

Article on Wireless Interventional Scan Planning

Article on Multi-Channel Spectrometer with Gradient and RF Coil Insert

Gradient and RF Insert coils for clinical MR systems linked to the imaginSYS fully independent MR spectrometer. A range of sizes are available with maximum gradient strengths from 25 to 200mT/m with an integrated transmit coil and 8-32 channel receive array tuned to any required frequency.

A range of robots with different load and reach capabilities are available for automated sample changing applications in healthcare and industry. Our COBOTs can be supplied with a vision system and AI control for image recognition and analysis run on a dedicated IPC with a graphical processing unit.

The MRI simulator allows users to interact with a clinical MRI interface to generate a set of images and see how they were created from the kspace data. The contrast can be adjusted using models based on the Bloch equations in real time. A range of images of different body parts are available to display and image planning can be used just like on a full clinical MRI system. Gradient sounds  can be heard through your computer sound system while the sequence waveforms are plotted, the software updates the MRI signal on each phase encode view and the kspace data and evolving image are displayed.The simulator is useful for Radiologists and Radiographers in training to experience how an MRI system works and for CPD. Copyrighted in 2012 - the 'Scantime' simulator (based on the commercially available Niche clinical MRI interface) was first sold to SEGI University in Malaysia in 2013. The digital twin scanner was used over a web interface in conjunction with anatomical and physics models, scan parameter and sequence inputs and a wireless biopsy planning simulator option for on-line training of MRI instructors and students at the University.

imaginSYS provides a complete set of clinical sequences and protocols for its own spectrometers and for OEM systems. A consultancy service for MRI sequence design is also available.

National Instruments article on imaginSYS Multi-Channel Spectrometer

Independent 8 channel MR Spectrometer with advanced software and sequence capability (see MR Software and Sequence products for specifications) for clinical and research applications and also for OEM MR System integrators. Additional modules can be added to create 16, 24 or 32 channel systems. A range of Gradient and Radiofrequency Amplifiers can be sourced and integrated into the RF shielded single cabinet spectrometer enclosure.

A neonatal MRI scan incubator has been developed in association with Advanced Health Technology. Not many institutions have access to MRI on the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. An alternative strategy to image neonates is to safely transport them from the NICU to the MRI department in the hospital. This requires the temperature and humidity and patient monitoring to be carefully observed as the incubator and neonate are transported to the MRI department on a non-magnetic trolley. The AHT incubator has been used to safely scan hundreds of babies at field strengths of 1.5T and 3T and provides excellent visibility of the baby during imaging, unlike some competitive systems.  

An incubator suitable for the Niche Neonatal MRI system is also available, including a new mesh shielded version, which removes the requirement for the magnet to be in a screened room, while providing full visibility of the baby during imaging, unlike some competitive systems. This incubator has been used in hundreds of neonatal clinical MRI studies on the NICU.

Article on Neonatal MRI Scan Incubator 

Advanced Health Technology 

imaginSYS MRI software provides a complete Clinical Interface for its own and OEM Spectrometers.

An optional image processing package allows two studies to be compared and processed using non-local mean (NLM) filtering. Also new contrast methods using MASDIR are included - image multiplication, addition, subtraction and division using Inversion Recovery sequences.  

Article on MASDIR