The GE Profile II Magnetic Resonance System is a High Resolution, Whole Body Imaging System Using an Innovative Open Magnet Design, Operating at 0.2 Tesla.

The System Has Been Designed to Provide Openness and Patient Comfort for a wide range of Examinations while Providing Excellent Diagnostic Image Quality. The Signa Profile System Provides Performance of Routine and Specialized Clinical Examinations including Diagnostic Imaging of the Central Nervous System, Body, Joints, Extremities, and Vascular Anatomy Using a Comprehensive Range of Proven Pulse Sequences and Image Enhancement Techniques

The Signa Profile System Consists of:

Magnet:

Permanent, NdFeB Material, Vertical Field Magnet Operating at 0.2 Tesla.

Enclosure Control Panel is Located Above the Patient Table to Activate:

Patient Comfort Features:

Gradient Subsystem:

Signa Profile System Includes a High Efficiency Flat Gradient Coils and Software Controlled Digital Eddy Current Compensation,  Designed to minimize Gradient-Induced Eddy Currents and to provide Controlled and Uniform Gradient Magnetic Fields in the X, Y, and Z Planes.

Radio Frequency Subsystem:

Digital Transceiver

Digital Transceiver Permits Proton Imaging at 8.5 MHz (for 0.2T Operation)

Digital RF Synthesizer Allows precise Phase Sensitive Techniques With Elimination of Induced Phase Error Image Artifacts.

The Advanced Digital Filter Eliminates Frequency Wraparound. In Addition, New Frequency Domain Digital Filtering techniques:

RF Coils

Saddle Transmit Body Coil is Contained inside the Magnet enclosure. Active Decoupling of Body Coil Enhances Surface Coil Imaging Quality, Particularly With Large Surface Coils, Allowing High Resolution surface Coil Imaging of Larger Anatomical Structures.

Quadrature Receive Head coil Has an inside Diameter of 27 cm (11 Inches) Open Design Incorporates Coil, Head Holder and Adjustable Mirror System to Promote Patient Comfort.

Quadrature Receive, Flexible Form Factory Body Coils Have a 48cm (19 1nches) Length with widths of:

The 9 Inch General purpose Coil is a Receive Only Split-Type Design Solenoid Coil Designed for Imaging of the Shoulder, Knee, Ankle and C-Spine.

RF Power: 2 kW

RF Power Output is Limited Via Hardware and Software Controls, System is Designed not to Exceed a Pre-Programmed Rate of Power Deposition per Kilogram of Patient Body Weight.

Dynamic Bandwidth Capability Allow Operator to select bandwidth for optimized SNR.  

Operator Workstation:

The Signa Profile Operator Workstation is ergonomically Designed for Ease of Use and Overall operator Comfort, Including:

Data Processing System

Dedicated High Speed Computer Processor for Simultaneous Prescription, Pause Sequence control, Data Collection and Reconstruction. Specific Subsystems Include:

1. Stand-Alone Host Computer With 256 Megabyte Main CPU Memory, Expandable to 384 Megabytes.
2. Pulse Sequence Controller Provides Real Time, High Resolution Waveform Generation With Ten Nanosecond Resolution.
3. Reconstruction Array Processor With 92 Megabytes Bulk Acquisition Memory Standard, Expandable to 512 Megabytes. 94 Milliseconds FFT Time per 256 x 256 Image. Scan and Reconstruction Modes Run Simultaneously.

Operational Specifications:

User Interface

New Graphic User Interface on the Signa Profile System is Designed to Promote Ease-of Use and Fast, Simple Operation. Icons and One Screen operation Simplify Scan Set up and Display. Standard Features Provide Automated Operation of Scan, Patient Management and Data Management Processes. These Features Include:

Application Programmed Protocols:

Pre-programmed , Pre-defined Protocols provide Anatomic Specific Acquisition Parameters. Customers Can Use the GE Protocols or Build Their Own Site-Specific Protocols.

Scan Orientation:

Direct Axial, Sagittal, Coronal, Oblique and Double-Oblique Plane Imaging

Acquisition Modes:

2D: Multi-slice Images, Including Contiguous Slices

3D: Volume Imaging Including 12 to 124 slice Locations in Increments of Two, Depending  on Pulse Sequence Chosen. 

Standard Pulse Sequences

Imaging Parameters

The Following Enhancements are Compatible With the Various Pulse Sequences: Flow Compensation, Respiratory Compensation, Respiratory Triggering, ECG Triggered Cardiac Gating, Peripheral Pulse Gating, Graphic Prescription, Spatial Saturation Techniques, Including Graphic Saturation Prescription, No Phase Wrap, Phase Offset Multi-Planar (POMP), Variable bandwidth, Image Intensity Correction, Extended Dynamic Range, Phase Offset, Asymmetric FOV (Square Pixel and Phase FOV), Odd Nex, and Autoshim.

Slice Thickness/Spacing:

2D: 2.7 to 20 mm Slice Thickness in 0.1 mm Increments (Depending on Pulse Sequence)

Operator Variable Interslice Spacing Increments as Small as 0.1 mm. Interlease Option for Multi-Slice Imaging.

3D: 12-124 Contiguous Slice Imaging, Depending on Chosen Pulse Sequence, 0.5 to 5.0 mm Slice Thickness in 0.1 mm increments.

Field of View:

6 to 40 cm in 1 cm Increments, Contiguous in All Planes.

Ability to Scan Asymmetric FOV and off center FOV in Frequency and Phase Directions.

Acquisition Matrix Size:

Phase Encoding From 128 to 512 in steps of 32. Frequency Encoding From 128 to 512 in Steps of 32.

Acquisition Times and Pulse Acquisition Ranges:

By Selecting the Number of Excitations (NEX), Repetition Times (TR), Number of phase Encoding Steps (Matrix Size) and number of Slices for 3D, the Operator Defines the scan Time.

For Imaging Techniques With a Defined Contrast (TR), Resolution (Matrix) and Signal -to- Noise, Imaging Time can be optimized by Adjusting Fractional (0.5, 0.75, 1.5) or Multiple NEX (1 to 150) 

Adaptive Digital Gating:

The Innovative Adaptive Digital Signal Processing Technique Reduces the Effects of Gradient Activity on the ECG Signal. This Technique Provides Reliable, Consistent –peak Detection and Accurate Synchronization Heart Activity to Acquire Images which Minimize Heart, vascular and CSF Motion.

The Cardiac Signals are Displayed on the LCD Located at the Operator workstation.

The Following Choices are Available for Cardiac Gated Image Acquisition:

The Gating Package Include the Software, One set of patient Lead Wires, and One Fiber optic peripheral Gating Probe

Display and Analysis

Display and Analysis Functions are Accessible From the Standard Operator Workstation and Include: Auto View, Next/Prior Image, Next/Prior Exam/Series Sort, Multiple Image Display, Image Sort, Cine Paging (Interactive, Auto, Manual Mode), Window/Level Save, Cursor (Ellipse/Circle/Box/Trace/Crosshair Manual Draw) Report Cursor, Rulers, Erase Graphics, Measurement Angle/Distance, Reverse /Rotate, Inverse Video, Multi ROI,  Screen Save, Accelerator Command Bar, Magnification, Pan/Zoom, Scroll, Image subtraction/Addition, Annotation of Image and Comments, Reformation (Real-Time/Curved), Cross Reference , and Grid.

Image Filtering

The Signa Profile Image Filtering Feature Provides Post Capabilities to Decrease the Apparent Noise Level of Images by Applying an Adaptive Filter to the Image Data. This Feature Utilizes a Hardware Accelerator That Processes Images in Less Than 2 Seconds Per 256 x 256 Image While Allowing Full system Simultaneity.

Filming

Page Filming Permits Creation of an Entire Film with a Single Keystroke.

Film Formats Available are 1:1 to 20:1 and 35 mm Slides.

Multiple Image Formats Allow Filming of Multi Images in a Single Format Frame

Archiving

Archive of Up to 4000 256 x 256 Matrix Images on the Re-Writable Magnetic Optical Disk (MOD), (Dual-Sided 5-1/4 inch Removable platter)

Image Networking

Standard DICOM Store Service Class:

Accessories

Fast Spin Echo

The Fast Spin Echo Package Provides the Capability to Perform 2D Acquisitions on the Signa profile. RF Pulses are Designed to Reduce SAR and Minimize Image Blurring. In Addition, Bandwidth may be Varied in the fast spin Echo Package up to 32 kHz.

2D FSE Allows the Acquisition of T1-Weigted, Proton-Density and T2-Weighted Spin Echo Studies at Substantially Reduced Acquisition times by Acquiring Multiple Phase Encoding Steps per TR. Fast Spin Echo Includes Single Contrast and Dual Contrast (Proton Density and T2) Sequences. Features of This Package Include:

Interactive Vascular Imaging

The Signa Profile Vascular Display Package ( “Workstation IVI”) Option Permits customization of Reprojections From Previously Acquired Vascular Images Either Interactively or Via Explicit prescriptions. Customization Includes User Defined Volume of Interest Angles, Tilts, Rotations, Thresholding, and Maximum /Minimum  Intensity Pixel Reprojections  

Neuro Imaging Package

Neuro Imaging Package for the Signa Profile Provides MR Acquisition Software Tailored Specifically for Brain Imaging Applications. Contents of the Neuro Imaging Package are as Follows:

Advanced Fast Package for Signa Profile:

Contents of the Advanced Fast Package are as Follows: