GE Healthcare's 3-T Wide Bore MR System Receives FDA Clearance

GE Healthcare has received FDA 510(k) clearance of its 3-T wide bore MR system touted to provide a more comfortable scanning experience, the company announced today.

The Discovery MR750w with Geometry Enhancing Method (GEM) suite of coils has a patient-friendly design and 70 cm bore to accommodate the hard-to-scan patients, such as larger, claustrophobic, elderly or very young patients, the company said. The system includes a 50 x 50 x 50 cm field of view and enables reduced exam time and the ability to scan large anatomy with fewer scans, compared to older systems.

GE’s Optical RF (OpTix) provides high channel count, analog to digital-optical signal conversion inside the scan room, which the company said would minimize noise and signal degradation. GE’s RF coil design uses thinner, lightweight, flexible material that embraces the patient and allows for easier patient positioning. The GEM suite includes a high density GEM posterior array embedded in the table, a GEM head and neck unit with comfort tilt, the GEM anterior array, and the GEM peripheral vascular/lower extremity array. The GEM coils can be used individually or combined to provide complete coverage, the company said.

“Under that sleek exterior is some of the most advanced technology we’ve ever built into an MR,” Jacques Coumans, GE’s general manager for premium MR, said in a statement. “Our goal has been to deliver a 3.0T system with a 70cm bore with no compromises.”