Varian, Inc. Completes World's First Actively Shielded 7 Tesla Whole-body Research MRI Magnet
19 Janeiro 2010 - 11:00AM
PR Newswire (US)
- New Technology Expands Site Options for MRI Researchers PALO
ALTO, Calif., Jan. 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Varian, Inc.
(NasdaqGS: VARI) announces the successful completion of the world's
first actively shielded 7 Tesla whole-body magnetic resonance
imaging (MRI) magnet. Ultra High Field (UHF) MRI at 7T offers
unmatched resolution, enabling researchers to visualize exquisite
anatomical and functional detail in the human brain or other
organs. Clinical MRI systems use actively shielded magnets at 1.5
or 3 Tesla. Until now, however, UHF MRI magnets have typically
required 400 to 800 tons of surrounding iron to form a magnetic
shield. This amount of iron must be built into the fabric of the
building, limiting the number of sites that can accommodate a UHF
MRI research system. Extending active shielding technology to 7
Tesla magnets will allow these powerful research instruments to be
more widely available. The Varian, Inc. Magnet Technology Centre in
Oxford, UK has manufactured over 80% of the world's UHF MRI magnet
systems. This, the world's first 7 Tesla actively shielded magnet,
was commissioned by a US government research facility to
demonstrate engineering leadership with the goal of having the
technology adopted by clinical MRI system vendors. The magnet will
be commissioned at its final site in the US in early 2010. Varian's
Senior MRI Magnet Designer, Rory Warner, stated that the factory
tests results were very pleasing. "The new 7T actively shielded
magnet performs as expected. It exhibits all the excellent
homogeneity and stability characteristics that we had designed
for," he said. "Varian's whole-body 7T magnet allows researchers to
advance our understanding of human biology with more detailed
images," said Martin O'Donoghue, Senior Vice President, Scientific
Instruments, Varian, Inc. "Our active shielding technology makes
this powerful tool accessible to a much larger number of scientists
and institutions." For more technical information about Varian
products, please visit http://www.varianinc.com/products/ About
Varian, Inc. Varian, Inc. is a leading worldwide supplier of
scientific instruments and vacuum technologies for life science,
environmental, energy, and applied research and other applications.
The company provides complete solutions, including instruments,
vacuum products, laboratory consumable supplies, software, training
and support through its global distribution and support systems.
Varian, Inc.'s common stock is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select
Market under the symbol "VARI." Further information is available on
the company's Web site at http://www.varianinc.com/. For More
Information, Contact: Public Relations Varian, Inc. (925) 942-4703
DATASOURCE: Varian, Inc. CONTACT: Public Relations of Varian, Inc.,
+1-925-942-4703, Web Site: http://www.varianinc.com/
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