Different Cardiac-capable Magnet Types
CMR scanners require modern electronics. 'Open' magnets are not so good for cardiac scanning as they do not cope with the beating heart very well. There are two magnet strengths mainly in use in CMR - 1.5 tesla and 3 tesla. The 3 tesla can potentially double the amount of information acquired in a scan. It offers particular advantages for perfusion. The downsides of 3 tesla are cost, energy usage requirements, and potentially artifacts degrading the pictures.
In some cases it is possible to update or refurbish a 1.5 tesla scanner to produce CMR images of clinical/diagnostic value equal or exceeding that which is available from 3 tesla scanners.
Current manufacturers of cardiac-capable MRI scanners include Philips, Siemens, Hitachi, Toshiba, GE.
Read more about this topic: Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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