GE Healthcare Launches New 3.0T MRI System 'SIGNA™ Pioneer Elite' with Enhanced Domestic Innovation

Empowered by Domestic Innovation, Elevating to New Dimensions

Beijing, August 1, 2020 – Today,GEGE HealthCare China has launched its latest 3.0T MRI product, the “SIGNA™ Pioneer Elite.” Leveraging the advantages of local intelligent manufacturing in Tianjin, China, this new product achieves innovative advancements in both hardware and clinical applications. It features a second-generation magnet that delivers leading magnetic field homogeneity even with a large bore, providing superior image clarity and signal-to-noise ratio for MRI diagnosis of complex chronic conditions such as cardiac diseases and tumors. This effectively reduces image artifacts and enhances the precision of clinical diagnosis and treatment.

GE’s China-Based Intelligent Manufacturing Sets the Benchmark for Second-Generation Magnet Homogeneity

Over the past five years, although the installed base of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) equipment in the Chinese market has continued to rise, with the annual growth rate of 3.0T high-field MRI systems exceeding 20%, the overall installed base remains relatively low. The continuous increase in imaging examination volumes for oncology and cardiovascular diseases has further driven substantial demand for faster MRI scanning speeds and earlier lesion detection.

In the realm of magnetic resonance innovation, GE Healthcare has consistently maintained a leadership position in research, development, and manufacturing, continuously delivering new advancements to MRI technology and clinical practice. The company’s two major R&D teams in China and the United States work in close collaboration with its Tianjin MRI manufacturing base. The newly launched SIGNA™ Pioneer Elite features the most advanced second-generation magnet available to date. This innovation leverages GE’s proprietary superconducting wire winding technology and intelligent shimming methods, exclusive to its Tianjin manufacturing facility, to achieve superior magnetic field homogeneity in large-bore magnets. As the foundation of magnetic resonance imaging, the magnet’s field homogeneity determines the signal-to-noise ratio and contrast levels of the images. Stable magnetic field homogeneity reduces image artifacts, thereby providing clinicians with higher-definition, more precise MRI scans.

In addition to second-generation magnet innovations, the all-new Pioneer Elite features a “Matrix Gradient” design, in which 45 gradient modules work in parallel synergy. Compared with traditional single-gradient-module designs, this approach transforms the MRI gradient system into an orchestra playing in unison, thereby enhancing gradient output performance. It also incorporates a 97-channel DST surround RF system and enables simultaneous imaging using both surface and body coils, fully leveraging signal information from both coils to achieve rapid scanning with broad coverage, high signal-to-noise ratio, and high uniformity.

15-Minute One-Stop Cardiac Scan Leads the Clinical Development of Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Currently, the demand for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in cardiovascular diseases is increasing. However, traditional cardiac MRI scans are time-consuming, with each patient requiring approximately 45 minutes of scanning and multiple breath-holds. The technical difficulty and complexity of cardiac MRI are relatively high, making it challenging for hospitals outside first- and second-tier cities to perform such clinical examinations. To address this clinical need, the all-new Pioneer Elite features the "Cardiac HyperSense Platform," offering a "15-minute one-stop cardiac scan clinical solution" that significantly reduces scan time and operational complexity. This clinical innovation optimizes imaging, speed, and workflow, enabling intelligent positioning and scanning during patient examination. Complete cardiac imaging can be achieved with just two breath-holds, allowing comprehensive assessment of cardiac morphology, motion, function, myocardial viability, and other key indicators. This advancement promotes the routine use of clinical MRI for cardiovascular disease diagnosis. (Source: GE Healthcare MRI R&D Team)