Jian Min Wang - Big Performance from Small Switching Box Enables Development of Brand-New, Low-Cost 1.5T MRT
Cost pressures continue to climb in the healthcare sector. That's why Siemens Healthcare is developing innovative systems to improve the quality of care and cut costs. The demand for such equipment is especially high at clinics and health centers that need to cover the full diagnostic spectrum on a limited budget. To meet the needs of this customer group Siemens Healthcare has now developed a 1.5-tesla magnetic resonance tomograph (MRT) that costs up to several hundred thousand euros less than conventional systems of this type. That makes the MAGNETOM ESSENZA the least expensive brand-new 1.5-tesla MRI system. Dr. Jian Min Wang, 45, has played a crucial role in the development of this piece of equipment. His design for a small switching box not only fully meets the high technical standards of Siemens MRT systems but also cuts costs.
An MR tomograph works with a powerful magnet and coils that receive signals. The simplest models are equipped with just one coil and can only be used for a specific part of the body, e.g. the head. With the development of the total imaging matrix technology (Tim), however, Siemens Healthcare has now ushered in a paradigm shift in this market. Tim was developed in order to enable highly detailed parallel imaging in all directions and over the entire body. Thanks to this innovation, a number of matrix coils can now be combined to meet any diagnostic or anatomical requirements. This reduces examination times and all but eliminates the need to reposition patients and coils during scanning. Naturally, this accelerates and enhances hospital workflows. For example, a full examination of the entire central nervous system can be performed in less than 10 minutes.
In 2002, Wang returned home to China following a period of 17 years in Germany, where he worked on the development of magnetic resonance tomographs at Siemens in Erlangen. In the same year, Siemens launched a joint venture in China in order to strengthen its presence in the fast growing Asian market. This led to the foundation of SMMR, which has been producing the MAGNETOM C! with great success since 2004. Wang became head of development of high-frequency components at the company. "We at SMMR wanted to be part of the global development network of the Magnetic Resonance Division and to be involved from the very beginning in the creation of the MAGNETOM ESSENZA," he says.
In particular, the use of innovative technology was a decisive factor in reducing the costs of the new device. For example, Tim was integrated in the new system in response to customer demand. Here, it is necessary to handle a substantial number of scanning signals. Together with his colleagues, Wang who has already registered 45 inventions, 35 of which are patented developed a simplified switching matrix for this purpose. This is integrated in the patient's couch and enables the simultaneous use of several receiving coils. This achieved two seemingly mutually exclusive goals: lower costs due to a less sophisticated signal receiving system that has been conceived to provide core quality and, at the same time, the incorporation of Siemens's exclusive Tim technology by means of an innovative switching system. The MAGNETOM ESSENZA was introduced onto the market at the end of October 2007.