New Technology Ignites the MRI Market

OREM, UT, November 23, 2011 (Press-News.org) Concerns about radiation dose along with new wide-bore options have reinvigorated the MRI market. In the new KLAS study, "MRI 2011: New Technology Hits the Ground Running," providers report that most new deals are dominated by wide-bore 1.5T magnets, but some are making the move to 3T wide-bores as well. This report examines vendor performance in the 1.5T, 3.0T and High-Field Open MRI market segments.

"Wide-bore magnets have a lot of appeal because of the high patient throughput and lower patient sedation rates," said Kirk Ising, report author. "Providers also see some marketing benefits from going with a wide-bore or a high- field open magnet."

Siemens continues to innovate with the release of their second generation wide-bore products--the 1.5T Aera and the 3T Skyra. Philips is moving in a positive direction with their Ingenia line of 1.5T and 3T wide-bore models, which feature a new and innovative digital coil system that is independent of the RF channel. GE's new 450W has restored some of the company's reputation for R&D in the MRI space. GE just recently received FDA clearance for the 750W 3T wide-bore. Toshiba was the second vendor to offer a wide-bore 1.5T magnet and just recently received FDA clearance for their Titan 3T wide-bore unit. Hitachi has long been the open MRI leader and scores well with the 1.2T Oasis.

"Providers are paying attention to the new technology available from different vendors, but they are still expecting vendors to offer the fundamentals," said Ising. "Reliability is key. When it comes to 1.5T magnets, Hitachi, Siemens, and Toshiba are performing well. Philips and GE have room to improve. But, reliability is only half the battle. When providers need service, and they will, the level of service received may be dependent on location."

Toshiba does very well in the West and the Central regions, but service has slipped a bit in the Northeast. Hitachi also did very well with service and support, particularly in the Northeast and the Southeast. However, implementation and training struggled in the Northeast. In the Central region Siemens struggled while Philips made their best showing. GE did not take the top spot in any of the geographical regions, but was the most consistent of any of the five vendors with a strong field support team.

To learn more about the MRI market and the strengths and weaknesses of the measured vendors, the report "MRI 2011: New Technology Hits the Ground Running" is available to healthcare providers a significant discount off the standard retail price. To purchase providers and vendors can visit www.KLASresearch.com/reports.

About KLAS
KLAS is a research firm specializing in monitoring and reporting the performance of healthcare vendors. KLAS' mission is to improve delivery, by independently measuring vendor performance for the benefit of our healthcare provider partners, consultants, investors, and vendors. Working together with executives from over 4500 hospitals and over 2500 clinics, KLAS delivers timely reports, trends, and statistics, which provide a solid overview of vendor performance in the industry. KLAS measures performance of software, professional services, and medical equipment vendors. For more information, go to www.KLASresearch.com, email marketing@KLASresearch.com, or call 1-800-920-4109 to speak with a KLAS representative. Follow KLAS on Twitter at www.twitter.com/KLASresearch.