Compact MRI System Designed for Clinical Imaging of the Wrist

Aspect Imaging (Toronto, ON, Canada), a developer of compact high-performance magnets, reported that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared the company’s M2 compact MRI system for diagnostic imaging of the wrist. Its design encompasses many of the advantages of Aspect Imaging’s unique compact MRI design—cost-effective, compact design, patient-centric ergonomics, powerful MR-based imaging, and simple, quiet operation. The announcement was made at the ISMRM (International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine) 21st annual meeting, held April 20-26, 2013, in Salt Lake City (UT, USA).

“The clearance for our M2 compact wrist MRI system by the FDA is an exciting step for Aspect Imaging. Our M2 imaging platform in truly unique in its value proposition to provide a high standard of patient care with a new paradigm of cost-effective MR-based imaging,” said Uri Rapoport, Aspect Imaging’s founder and CEO. “We have had significant interest globally from clinicians for our system because of its ease of use, its ease of installation without the need for a specific dedicated facility, and the system’s high-quality images and simple workflow. With this FDA clearance, we will begin to provide this system to clinicians interested in diagnostic-quality imaging of the wrist in an affordable, flexible product at a fraction of the cost of existing clinical MRI systems.”

The Aspect system, dissimilar to traditional high-field MRI systems, does not require a shielded room, cryogens, or high capacity electrical power. The system features a 1-Tesla, self-shielded, permanent magnet operating in a quiet, stress-free manner. As a result, the compact MRI can be used in most clinical environments as it does not require special infrastructure. This allows siting flexibility for clinicians and providers, with marginal site preparation costs. Moreover, patient-centered design and quiet operation combine to enhance patient comfort.

The company expects to start marketing of the system in the summer of 2013 and plans to run clinical studies at multiple sites including at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA; USA), department of orthopedic surgery at their facilities at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center and Santa Monica UCLA Medical Center and Orthopedic Hospital. The UCLA research studies will be managed by Dr. Kodi Azari, FACS, surgical director of the UCLA Hand Transplantation Program and associate professor, UCLA department of orthopedic surgery and division of plastic surgery.

Aspect Imaging is a designer and developer of high-performance, compact MR imaging systems for pre-clinical, clinical, and advanced industrial applications. In the clinical market, Aspect Imaging has multiple clinical programs underway including its system to provide highly efficient just-in-place compact MRI for imaging of the wrist. The system allows clinicians to harness the power and insights of MRI but without the cost, complexity, and technical burden of traditional MRI systems.

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Aspect Imaging
University of California, Los Angeles