Some magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) patients, especially those who are going to be examined in a conventional 3 Tesla (3T) system with its relatively large magnet, may suffer from claustrophobia. In spite of the precision and resolution of these systems, they can also create problems for obese patients and patients with chronic pain or limited mobility. To overcome such obstacles, Romeu Côrtes Domingues, MD, and his colleagues at CDPI (Clínica de Diagnóstico por Imagem, a major imaging diagnosis facility in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) decided to purchase MAGNETOM® Verio, Siemens 70-centimeter Open Bore MRI system. It combines the performance of a 3T system with ten centimeters of extra breathing room for patients and Siemens Tim® (Total imaging matrix) technology and allows doctors to exam several body areas, and even the whole patient, without any repositioning.

The combination of all three features (3T + 70 cm + Tim) is crucial, especially when MAGNETOM Verio is compared to conventional bore or 1.5 Tesla (1.5T) systems. "Of course, we're talking about doubling the magnetic field, since MAGNETOM Verio is a 3T system. And that means doubling the signal-to-noise ratio, too. Some lesions that are nearly invisible for a 1.5T system - the ones in a patient with a case of epilepsy that's difficult to control, for instance, or breast cancer at the earliest stages - are sure to show up with 3T," says Domingues.

If the work with MAGNETOM Symphony and MAGNETOM Avanto is any guide, the benefit of 3T Open Bore technology for the clinic's workflow is going to be substantial, says Domingues. Thanks to Tim® (Total imaging matrix) technology, at the end of a typical working day of 15 hours, about two or three extra patients have been examined. "We broke our own record a couple of months ago, doing 60 sessions in a single day. One would never be able to reach the same standards with a different machine," he recalls. "If you do the math, you'll find out that, at the end of five years of work, you can buy another machine thanks to the time you saved with the first one," he concludes.