CHICAGO, Dec. 1 (Xinhua) -- An MRI system called uMR Omega with a ultra-wide bore of 75 cm was unveiled Sunday at the ongoing 105th Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), which began Sunday and runs till Friday.
Being a newcomer of the clinical MRI systems family, the 3.0-T uMR Omega may help open the MRI therapy to more patients while improving the patients' experience with additional space and comfort.
In addition to increased bore size specifications, uMR Omega increases the table weight capacity for the first time in MR imaging to 680 lbs, which may benefit pregnant women who need scans, and children who may have their mothers lie with them in the bore.
By debuting this ultra-wide MRI system at the RSNA annual meeting, the Shanghai-based United Imaging plans to make China-made products better serve the North America market, the world's biggest medical market, said James Xia, co-president of United Imaging Healthcare Technology Group Co., Ltd.
"The United States will be the first market to receive the uMR Omega, underscoring United Imaging's significant investment to provide access to high-quality imaging to all patients in this country," Xia said.
Statistics showed that up to 13 percent of patients receiving MRI reported having a panic attack during the procedure. A greater number suffered significant anxiety or disorientation in an enclosed space during the medical examination. Small bore size plays a key role in how patients perceive the experience.
Established in 1915, the RSNA is an international society of radiologists, medical physicists and other medical professionals with more than 54,000 members across the globe.
The RSNA annual meeting, the world's premier annual radiologic meeting, typically hosts more than 50,000 attendees, and the exhibits cover the latest developments in radiology and related imaging technologies dealing with diagnosis, intervention and therapy. The number of Chinese companies attending the meeting has kept increasing in recent years.
