Customer Testimonial

"This new tool, with its easy to use interface, is going to speed the localization of the coronary arteries and allows us to image the coronary tree in a more accurate fashion and in a shorter exam time. We greatly welcome this excellent advancement."
-- Zahi A. Fayad, PhD

Figure A - This image was acquired using Cardiac iDrive. The slice location from this image can then be quickly transferred into a high-resolution series, assuring that the anatomy of interest will be scanned.

Overview

Cardiac iDrive is a dynamic tool that can be used to localize the coronary arteries in less time and with greater precision than conventional localizing sequences. This unique tool can be used with the Fast GRE/SPGR, FGRE-Echo Train and Spiral pulse sequences. Once the desired scan plane and slice locations are determined with Cardiac iDrive, these parameters can be quickly transferred into the scan acquisition.

Figure B - This is the user interface for the Cardiac iDrive. The large window in the center is the Real Time Image Main Viewer. As the real-time data acquisition is taking place, the main viewer displays the real-time images. To the left of the Main Viewer is the Scout Viewer where a static image can be displayed to use the Draw Line tool. Above the Scout Viewer, book-mark images are saved and displayed. The operator can return to any of the bookmarked locations when selected. Below the Main Viewer are all the tools available to drive through the anatomy.

Key Technology

Cardiac iDrive

Clinical Specifications

Simultaneous scan/recon/display
Up to 16 interactive frames per second (ifps)
< 2 minute localization

Clinical Benefits

Cardiac iDrive is an invaluable tool when setting-up to acquire coronary artery images. The real-time interactive manipulation of image plane and location along with the 16 interactive frames-per-second (ifps) acquisition/reconstruction/display rates, GE’s cardiac interactive localizer is an industry leader in a “fluoro MR” image acquisition. This real-time imaging at high frame rate lends itself to efficient localization of the coronary arteries. After the artery is located, the preferred scan locations can be downloaded into a high-resolution acquisition. The whole localization process can take less than two minutes. This tool can be used in any other “fluoro” body application as well.