FONAR Upright™ MRI

|The coils of the FONAR Upright™ MRI

FONAR offers a wide range of Solenoid-, Planar- and Quadrature-Coils to use in the Upright™ MRI. FONAR has several in-house teams of high-level scientists and engineers devoted to improving existing receiver coil designs and introducing new ones.

FONAR’s first receiver coils, or surface coils, were solenoid receiver coils. These coils are basically wrapped around the region of interest. The solenoid receiver coil has been and continues to be a perfect match for FONAR scanners. It is a fundamental fact of physics that optimal Signal-to-Noise Ratios (SNR) are achieved when the axis of the receiver coil is perpendicular to the direction of the scanner’s magnetic field.

With superconductive MRI scanners, the horizontal magnetic field would be parallel, rather than perpendicular, to the solenoid coil axis. Therefore these scanners cannot capitalize on the SNR advantage of the solenoid design are forced to use less efficient receiver coil designs instead.

The unique transaxial horizontal magnetic field of the Upright™ MRI makes it the ONLY Open MRI system that can use flat planar coils. The advantage of planar coils is that they can be placed close to the targeted anatomy, which results in high Signal-to-Noise Ratios (SNR) and, therefore, excellent images.

| Quadrature Head Coil

The Quadrature Head Coil provides excellent neuroimaging capabilities. It can be used with the patient in either an upright or recumbent posture. Adjustable movement inhibitors keep the patient’s head immobilized throughout the scan. The large spaces between the coil conductors allow the patient an unobstructed view of a TV mounted on the scanner room wall.

| Signal Plus™ Open Head Coil

The Signal Plus™ Open Head Coil employs an advanced multi-conductor design that provides the high Signal-to-Noise Ratios necessary for neuroimaging applications.

| Cervical Solenoid Coils

FONAR’S flexible Cervical Solenoid Coil optimizes imaging of the cervical spine. The coils are available in different diameters for patients that require a more loosely fitting coil in order to flex, extend or bend their necks as far as they are able to. pMRI™ applications give the referring physician the most complete picture of the patient’s condition.

| Quadratur T-L (Thoracic-Lumbar) Coil

Because of its unique magnet configuration, the FONAR Upright™ MRI is the ONLY MRI scanner that is able to utilize a solenoid (wrap-around) coil and a flat planar coil as its quadrature pair. Each coil in FONAR’s quadrature pair offers its own special advantage: The solenoid coil is remarkably SNR-efficient – more so than saddle-shaped coils used with conventional superconductive MRI scanners; and the companion planar coil achieves remarkable SNR because of its close proximity to the targeted anatomy. The combination of the two makes the Quadrature Thoracic-Lumbar Coil an extraordinary performer.

| Planar Thoracic-Lumbar Coil

The Planar Thoracic-Lumbar Coil is placed directly behind the patient’s back. The patient leans against the coil and sits comfortably throughout the scan

| Shoulder Coil

FONAR’s shoulder coil employs a unique double-planar design.

The coil, which can be used on either shoulder, interfaces with an immobilization fixture that attaches to the patient bed.

| Quadrature Knee Coil

The Upright™ MRI is the ONLY MRI scanner capable of performing weight-bearing extremity studies. Weight-bearing knee scans can be done with the patient standing or with the bed tilted back to any selected angle. With the bed tilted back, the patient is usually more comfortable and is better able to remain still throughout the procedure. The coil attaches directly to the bed. Patient positioning is quick and easy.

| Wrist Coil

The FONAR wrist coil is a rigid, multi-conductor receiver coil optimized for high-resolution wrist or small extremity imaging.

| Quadrature T-L (Thoracic-Lumbar) Coil

Because of its unique magnet configuration, the FONAR Upright™ MRI is the ONLY MRI scanner that is able to utilize a solenoid (wrap-around) coil and a flat planar coil as its quadrature pair. Each coil in FONAR’s quadrature pair offers its own special advantage: The solenoid coil is remarkably SNR-efficient – more so than saddle-shaped coils used with conventional superconductive MRI scanners; and the companion planar coil achieves remarkable SNR because of its close proximity to the targeted anatomy. The combination of the two makes the Quadrature Thoracic-Lumbar Coil an extraordinary performer.

| Wraparound Spine and Body Coils

The flexible wraparound coils (45-inch, 55-inch and 65-inch circumferences) provide uniform posterior-to-anterior signal intensity and extended longitudinal coverage for spine and body imaging. The user can choose the optimal patient filling-factor to increase SNR.