GE Healthcare to launch groundbreaking new PET/MR system

GE Healthcare will soon be launching a first-of-its-kind positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance (PET/MR) system in the US.

The Signa PET/MR system is the first integrated, simultaneous, time-of-flight capable, whole-body device of its kind. Its US regulatory approval status is pending and it has not yet received European CE Mark approval.

Offering simultaneous image acquisition from the company's latest 3.0 Tesla MR technology and PET capabilities, the system will allow clinicians to detect early cellular changes that can then be accurately mapped on to MR images.

As well as providing added convenience for patients, such an innovation could help shorten the time between diagnosis and treatment for a range of conditions in the fields of oncology, neurology and cardiology imaging.

Richard Hausmann, president and chief executive officer for MR at GE Healthcare, said: "Our research partners are very excited by the performance of the system and the potential of this new technology."

Earlier this year, the company announced a new collaboration with Tesla Engineering to produce 7.0 Tesla whole-body MRI scanners for use by research organisations.