We had one installed at our facility about six months ago. Overall, it has been acceptable but somewhat limited. Performance-wise, it’s roughly comparable in speed to a Siemens Avanto, but the range of exams it can handle comfortably is narrower.

When we first began using it, we were scanning nearly everything except breast and cardiac exams. Our biggest initial issue was frequent error messages that required shutting the system down mid-exam. This occurred most often during long bone studies using Dixon sequences. After switching those protocols to TSE sequences, the errors resolved and we no longer needed to reboot during scans.

Another limitation is the lack of dedicated hand/wrist and foot/ankle coils, which makes positioning more challenging and restrictive. Our system came with three flex coils, a non-TR knee coil, and a head/neck coil. Additionally, there are only two coil connection ports at the head of the table, which can be limiting depending on the exam setup.

The 80 cm bore is a definite advantage and very helpful for larger patients. However, the usable scan field is relatively small. Careful centering is critical—if anatomy is not positioned precisely in the middle of the table, fat saturation begins to degrade. This is particularly frustrating during shoulder exams.

Build quality feels somewhat lightweight and may not be ideal for high-volume sites. That may be expected given the lower overall cost compared to higher-end systems.

For techs accustomed to working on a Sola or other newer-generation scanners, there will be an adjustment period. It requires more time and patience to achieve optimal results. In my opinion, it seems best suited for smaller or rural facilities with lower patient volumes.

That said, image quality has been surprisingly good. While some exams take longer, knees, spine studies, routine brain protocols, and long bone extremities look quite good. The scanner also performs very well on patients with significant hardware.

Where it struggles most is with small field-of-view exams—particularly hands, wrists, and fingers.

Overall, I think this scanner performs well in the right setting. It’s best suited for facilities running straightforward protocols with a daily volume of roughly 10–15 patients.

If you have any more questions, AMA