31 Old Broad Street, a London Bridge Hospital diagnostic and treatment centre, has recently installed its first MAGNETOM Skyra 3T MRI system from Siemens Healthcare.
Supplementary to the hospital’s six existing Siemens MRI systems, it is hoped the Skyra will provide support for more complex clinical procedures.
It was chosen by the hospital for its articular cartilage mapping capabilities and ease of use, with front-end familiarity cited as a key factor in the decision-making process.
The system has reduced the number of hip arthograms carried out by staff and allowed the hospital to provide cartilage mapping services to patients for the first time.
The hospital has also been impressed with the high-quality image resolution in joint, brain and prostate imaging provided by the Skyra, which employs Day optimising throughput (DOT) technology. This sits alongside Tim 4G (total imaging matrix) functionality, designed to assist with the rapid acquisition of images.
By providing patient personalisation options, user guidance and examination automation to help optimise workflow, the Skyra is expected to assist the hospital’s MRI imaging workload in a wide range of areas including hips, knees, brain and prostate procedures. Additionally, the Skyra has helped to enhance patient comfort with its 70cm Open Bore design suitable for a variety of patients, assisting patients affected by claustrophobia.
“The combination of excellent image quality and advanced features for new procedures such as cartilage mapping made the MAGNETOM Skyra the right choice for 31 Old Broad Street,” said Joe Cornall, head of imaging services at London Bridge Hospital.
“The Skyra is not just another MRI system; it is integral to our orthopaedic and prostate work. It also enables us to develop brain imaging services with neurologists on site, and we are looking to publish data about articular mapping in the future, working alongside our orthopaedic consultants.”
