New MRI Mobile Table

While the therapy is still in progress, MRI can support a precise control of treatment success. This is especially important in high precision and innovative therapies as well as in research. To benefit from the advantages of MRI in medical treatment, it is vital to transport patients safely and effectively from the intervention room to the MRI scanner. The Combi Dockable Table is a new mobile scanner table compatible with Siemens’ latest-generation MR units and can be used for different treatments.

Magnetom Combi Suites provides various solutions for MR-supported therapies. Due to its excellent soft-tissue contrast, MRI can be helpful for neurosurgery, neurovascular, and cardiovascular interventions. To provide seamless integration between MRI and a therapeutic environment, the robust Combi Dockable Table was designed for the latest high-end scanners Magnetom Aera (1.5 T) and Magnetom Skyra (3 T) and is compatible with neurosurgery operating tables manufactured by Maquet or Trumpf.

Unlike other transport solutions, the new table allows the surgeon to operate according to established best practice. During the operation, the patient lies on a shell on the operating table. The head of the patient is positioned beyond the edge of the OR table. Below the shell is enough space for adjusting the head clamp in which the patient’s head is secured. If the neurosurgeon needs an MR image, the patient is moved with the shell onto the Combi Dockable Table and then moved directly into the scanner. Thus, the patient needs to be moved only once, not twice as it is the case with other solutions. The easy and efficient manner in which the MRI is integrated into the OR procedure can be a great benefit to doctors and patients. For example, many brain tumors are difficult to distinguish from healthy tissue. An MRI exam makes it possible to monitor whether the entire tumor could be removed and the surrounding tissue preserved while the surgery is still in progress.

Magnetom Combi Suites, including the Combi Dockable Table, was presented at the European Congress of Radiology, March 1-5, 2012, Vienna, Austria, and is part of Agenda 2013.