Magnetom Espree & VCG

At Pacific Breast Care, we have the best diagnostic and interventional equipment for breast imaging on the market, including the Magnetom Espree. This MRI has a bore diameter of 70 centimeters and a system length of only 1.25 meters, all of this with a field strength of 1.5 Tesla. In a breast MRI, patients need to lay prone within the magnet for the length of the procedure. The additional room afforded by the 70-centimeter bore and the short length of the magnet itself provides not only a much more comfortable experience, but also allows patients with different physiques access to a breast MRI examination. To get the highest quality images, in addition to an MRI, it is necessary to use a dedicated breast coil. There are several variations on the market today, and after very careful evaluation, our physicians decided the best choice for their patients was the Sentinelle Vanguard Breast coil. The Sentinelle Vanguard uses a unique technology called Variable Coil Geometry (VCG), which allows the best image quality for every patient, regardless of breast size or physique.

With traditional breast coils, the volume for the breast are fixed and the RF coil elements are in a fixed position. In order to provide high SNR, the position of the elements need to be in close proximity to the breast tissue, axilla and chest wall. If a small volume breast coil is chosen, to get high SNR in smaller breasted patients, this limits the range of breast sizes that can be accommodated by the breast coil. If a large volume breast coil is chosen, the openings are larger, which results in a greater distance between the coil elements and the patient’s breasts, resulting in a lower SNR overall and not providing the necessary signal into the axilla and posterior chest wall.

The VCG technology found in the Sentinelle Vanguard breast coil allows the coil elements to move in the medio-lateral direction as well as in the antero-posterior direction. This ability allows the technologists to provide the best “coil fill” for every breast size, resulting in a very strong SNR for the breasts, chest wall and axilla. This increased SNR also allows the technologists to utilize iPAT{Integrated Parallel Imaging Techniques} on a routine basis to deliver the highest resolution images with very short acquisition times.

For interventional procedures in the MR suite, the VCG technology allows us to target lesions in all areas of the breast, including the posterior regions using either a medial or lateral approach. In addition to the RF technology, the frame of the Sentinelle Vanguard coil was designed to allow the patient to remain still during the MR procedure, whether for diagnostic or interventional procedures.

As an example of the synergy between the Magnetom Espree, the Sentinelle Vanguard Breast coil and the staff at Pacific Care Center, we have provided two case studies below.

Magnetom Espree & VCG

In This Section:

Other Sections: