Steady State Imaging Introduces SWIFT Launch Kit

Steady State Imaging out of Minneapolis, MN has introduced the SWIFT Launch Kit at this year’s annual meeting of the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM). SWeep Imaging with Fourier Transformation (SWIFT) is a novel pulse sequence for use in MR imaging that is able to overcome many of the weaknesses associated with the modality. Developed by Dr. Michael Garwood at the University of Minnesota’s Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, SWIFT works by employing frequency modulated excitation pulses that effectively reduce TE to zero. The result is the ability to image objects with extremely short transverse relaxation rates (e.g., the plastic LEGO man is included in the kit as a “phantom”) and a vast reduction of susceptibility, motion and flow artifacts. Some of the more stunning images produced with SWIFT include lung parenchyma, sinuses and teeth (see right).
The SWIFT Launch Kit includes an RF coil, a tuning device, software and phantoms, and requires the Varian DirectDrive console and VnmrJ imaging software v2.3 or higher. In the future, Steady State Imaging will be further examining the potential role of SWIFT in clinical medicine and expanding SWIFT availability to commercial scanners commonly used by clinicians.
Link: SWIFT Launch Kit
More info on SWIFT: SWIFT Science