Aston Brain Centre at Aston University in Birmingham has upgraded its MAGNETOM® Trio MR system from Siemens Healthcare to the advanced capabilities of the MAGNETOM Trio Tim 3T in order to offer improved image quality for the benefit of its research on functional and anatomical brain connectivity using volumetric MR imaging and DTI studies.
The centre, an integrated research environment for the study of neurodevelopment in health and disease, expects the enhancements to assist from both a clinical and research perspective.
Professor Stefano Seri, Director of the Aston MRI Centre states, “Aston Brain Centre offers a hybrid mix of research and clinical scanning. On the research side, the upgrade to the Trio Tim MR system from Siemens Healthcare will give us access to DTI-Tractography thanks to the increased number of vectors available, as well as access to advanced spectroscopy sequences that were not available in the past.”
Professor Seri adds, “Clinically, the improved SNR and field homogeneity will allow us to offer improved quality in spine imaging and will consolidate our leadership in musculoskeletal imaging, for which we have built a reputation of high quality service over the years through the scanning of elite athletes.”
Aston Brain Centre has used Siemens Healthcare’s MAGNETOM Trio MR system since 2004. The powerful upgrade to the system, now in place, offers a unique 3T platform to tackle both current and future MR-research challenges. The MAGNETOM Trio Tim system provides excellent imaging technology through innovative applications. The Centre foresees an increase in patient throughput due to the heightened image quality offered by the upgraded system, with the Centre’s paediatric work also being supported.
“We are pleased to be able to continue to support the vital work that is carried out at Aston Brain Centre through the successful upgrade to the MAGNETOM Trio,” states John Brady, Regional Sales Manager at Siemens Healthcare. “This enhancement to the Centre’s long-standing MR system has been specifically developed to fit and address the changing needs of dynamic healthcare environments such as at Aston University. We offer upgrade paths for all of our systems to allow customers to move to the very latest platforms and imaging capabilities, and are confident that the Trio Tim’s enhanced functionality will enable the Centre to extend its clinical and research remit, particularly in terms of assisting with pre-surgical assessments regarding the brain.”
