The document summarizes Philips' SmartPath to dStream program, which upgrades existing MRI systems to digital broadband architecture without requiring a new magnet. It transforms systems into digital MRI with benefits like improved image quality, speed, and expandability. The program overhauls key system components, extends the lifetime by 10 years, and has lower costs than a new installation while achieving similar performance to the latest systems. It also has environmental benefits from reusing the existing magnet.

1. Philips Healthcare is part of Royal Philips Electronics
The smart approach
to digital MRI
How to reach us:
www.philips.com/healthcare • healthcare@philips.com
Product information:
www.philips.com/smartpathtodstream
© 2012 Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. All rights reserved.
Philips Healthcare reserves the right to make changes in specifications and/or to discontinue any product at any time
Philips Magnetic
without notice or obligation and will not be liable for any consequences resulting from the use of this publication.
Resonance SmartPath
Printed in The Netherlands.
4522 962 89721 * Nov 2012 to dStream program

2. Launch your
MR system
into the
digital era
SmartPath to dStream offers all the Ingenia owners enjoy enhanced image quality, outstanding
benefits of digital broadband architecture, clinical capabilities, an excellent patient experience and
exceptional workflow from dStream, Ingenia’s broadband
without the cost and hassle of installing a digital architecture. Now you can launch your MR
completely new system. system into the digital era, benefitting from dStream
and all its advantages – on your existing magnet.
dStream delivers
• Clarity: You will benefit from fully digital coils that
boost image quality by capturing the MR signal as close as
possible to the patient.
• Speed: FlexStream streamlines workflow and reduces
exam time, by enabling imaging with fewer, lighter coils
and faster patient set up.
• Expandability: With EasyExpand, you will never again
have to upgrade your RF receive channels. Channel
independence means you can expand your coil family
without channel conflicts.
Imaging 2.0 More for less
SmartPath to dStream brings you:
Imaging 2.0, Philips’ revolutionary imaging • dStream image quality
approach signals our endless quest to raise • dStream patient management: up to 30% improvement in your
the bar on clinical excellence – by working throughput in a variety of routine exams
• Increased patient space in routine applications like spine and
with you to develop innovations that body, due to integrated posterior coil.
enable you to collaborate freely, diagnose • Higher return on investment than with a new system purchase
confidently, and care passionately. • Faster installation, minimal disruption: no magnet removal
• Green choice with re-using your existing magnet
2 The smart approach to digital MR The smart approach to digital MR 3

3. The digital advantage
A technological breakthrough, dStream elevates DirectDigital MultiTransmit 4D EasyExpand
clinical performance, accelerates patient dStream DirectDigital RF captures a high purity MR For 3.0T systems, dStream delivers consistency With dStream’s EasyExpand you never have to worry
signal – directly in the coil on the patient. It then and speed with MultiTransmit 4D, which allows about upgrading your RF receive channels to keep up
management, and improves economic value. sends the signal to the reconstructor via fiber-optic for optimal RF transmission even during real-time with advantages in coil technology. Because digitization
cable, for lossless broadband data transmission. With applications. MultiTransmit reduces dielectric shading, occurs in the RF coil, the channels available are
SmartPath to dStream, you’ll benefit from an SNR that helps manage local Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) determined by the coil, rather than the system. This
equals that of Ingenia, as well as dS SENSE parallel and takes advantage of optimized RF management. enables plug-and-play expansion of clinical capabilities
imaging, for outstanding image quality and speed. without major hardware upgrades, resulting in lower
lifecycle costs and improved economic value.
Your MRI today
Intera/Achieva
Your MRI tomorrow
SmartPath to dStream
Enhanced SNR and speed Enhanced volumetric imaging Enhanced uniformity and contrast
T2W TSE, Achieva 1.5T Torso XL coil 30 VISTA FLAIR in 8:16 min. versus Brainview FLAIR Cine Balanced TFE, conventional 3.0T versus
seconds versus SmartPath to dStream with in MPR 4:53 min. SmartPath to dStream with MultiTransmit 4D.
dSTorso 14 seconds
4 The smart approach to digital MR The smart approach to digital MR 5

4. Accelerate patient management
SmartAssist and FlexStream workflow – as part of the dStream architecture - accelerate
patient management to match that of Ingenia. SmartAssist is the next generation of
Philips powerful combination of SmartExam and ExamCards. It can halve the number of
repetitive tasks supporting greater efficiency, consistency and reproducibility. Pre exam
Post exam
Achieva 1.5T Scan time
set-up time
set-up time
SmartAssist efficiency assistance includes: • SmartLine: Performs intelligent background
• SmartStart: Moves the table to isocenter and starts processing (such as volume view, diffusion, perfusion
the exam at the touch of a button. etc.,) of multiple image datasets in parallel with image
• SmartSelect: Automatically determines which coils acquisition which saves time.
Increase your throughput
and elements should be activated to produce the SmartPath
30% FlexStream workflow significantly shortens set-up
highest SNR for the selected area. FlexStream workflow to dStream
times by streamlining workflow and strongly reducing
• SmartExam: Positions slices on the target anatomy, FlexStream is a new concept in exam management
the number of repetitive tasks. Bringing up to 30%
reducing operator input to as little as a single mouse designed to streamline workflow enabling imaging
improvement in your throughput.
click. It is optionally available for brain, spine, shoulder, with fewer coils, increase flexibility and reduce
knee and breast imaging. time, bringing up to 30% improvement in your total exam time
• SmartLink: Simplifies the planning, viewing and throughput in a variety of routine exams.
processing of multi-sequence, multi-station exams,
treating multi-station exams as one volume.
FlexCoverage Anterior coil* FlexCaddy coil storage cart* FlexTrak Patient Transport System*
By combining the lightweight FlexCoverage If other dStream coils are required, you can choose FlexTrak dockable patient transport system
anterior coil with the posterior coil, you can image from a variety of coil solutions. Additional coils can provides simplified patient preparation, handling
anatomies from above the shoulder to the toe. be stored in the optional FlexCaddy coil storage and transportation from the preparation room to
Due to its unique design, it conforms comfortably cart, readily available at the table-side. the MR scanner, as well as easy exam set up.
to the patient’s body shape, allowing fast and easy
positioning.
FlexCoverage posterior coil dS HeadNeckSpine FlexConnect connection
Integrated underneath the tabletop, the The integrated dS HeadNeckSpine completes FlexConnect enables single-handed coil
FlexCoverage Posterior coil is the answer for the FoV to 200 cm, simply clicked on the digital connections as well as auto-eject for easy table
about 60% of your routine applications, providing table, allowing less steps in patient set-up and less undocking.
neck-to-toe coverage, head-or-feet first, without connectors.
coil handling or positioning. The posterior coil
combines effortlesly with other dStream coils for
large coverage, and fast and easy patient setup.
* optional
6 The smart approach to digital MR The smart approach to digital MR 7

5. Imaging excellence
All images taken with SmartPath to dStream digital broadband MR
SmartPath to dStream architecture and dS coil solutions results in high SNR that benefit
every application. You no longer have to trade resolution for speed: now you can
perform routine exams for brain, spine, knee, ankle and liver within less than 8 minutes
with excellent image quality.
Fast routine imaging dS-SENSE parallel imaging
Enhanced SNR and coverage Extended coverage
Fast routine imaging is enabled by dStream (dS) Powered by dStream architecture, dS-SENSE enables
PDW TSE SmartPath to dStream with dSTorso, 500 mm Field of View T2W TSE
coil solutions tailored to your clinical needs and higher parallel imaging factors for more speed
Flex M plus dSPosterior
addressing a full range of clinical situations, dStream and resolution. It includes quick, fully integrated
coil solutions and have been optimized for: reference scans which are planned automatically.
• Intrinsic signal-to-noise ratio.

• Imaging coverage.
Enhanced workflow
• Parallel imaging performance.
2 station total Spine
T2W TSE with integrated
“SmartPath to dStream is a phenomenal opportunity dSTotalSpine
for us: not only to keep us contemporary, but to
maintain our lead over our competition“
Chip Truwit MD, Chief of Radiology, Hennepin County Medical Center.
Dr.

Enhanced workflow
and SNR
3 station total Torso
Minutes
DWIBS with dSHeadNeck
8
and dSTorso
6
4 T2 Cor
T1 3D IP
T1 3D OP
Diffusion
T2 Ax
2 T1 T1 Ax T2 Ax F/S STIR Sag
T2 PD Sag T1 Sag Function PD Cor
Flair T2 Sag F/S T2 Sag T1 3D art. PD Cor F/S
DWI PD Cor F/S T2 TSE Ax T1 3D portal T1 Cor
T2* T2 Cor BFFE Ax T1 3D venous PD Ax F/S Routine exams for brain, spine, knee,
0
Brain Knee C-spine Liver Foot/ankle ankle, and liver all within less than 8 min
Enhanced volumetric imaging
with excellent image quality.
3D BrainView FLAIR with dS-SENSE 5; 1.1mm3 isotropic resolution in 4:53 Fast whole body imaging
minutes. Sagittal source image and axial MPR. T2W TSE in 5 minutes with dSTorso and dS-SENSE
8 The smart approach to digital MR

6. Improve
economic
With the SmartPath to dStream program, Philips again remain in the exam room while the makeover takes place
demonstrates its commitment to ensuring long life for its resulting in much less disturbance to your facility.
systems. A cost-effective path to digital broadband MR,
the program essentially extends system lifetime, resulting In addition, dStream’s EasyExpand channel independence
value
in a system that is like new, at a substantially lower cost makes channel upgrades a thing of the past, giving you
than a new system. There is no need to design a new MR access to coils with any number of channels without
suite, and significantly less downtime. The magnet can even upgrading your RF receive system.
Virtually a new system for a very affordable price SmartPath
The green choice
In addition to bringing full digital capabilities to your Your Philips imaging system is designed to be reliable
MR system, SmartPath to dStream also completely and efficient, so that it remains so from day one, is our
renews the system, just as if you had bought a new MR, commitment to you. Philips SmartPath is a way to give
From a sustainability perspective, SmartPath
including 10 years extended lifetime from the moment of you easy access to the latest updates, upgrades and
to dStream has many benefits, simply
purchase. innovations throughout the cycle of product ownership.
by re-using your current magnet:
• It saves over 40 tons of CO2 that would be
The program includes: By maintaining your equipment at peak performance,
produced with the manufacturing of a new magnet.
Total cost
• New digital table, with integrated posterior coil and you can realize your full clinical and operational
• It saves over 13.000 kWh of energy that would be
FlexConnect connectors. potential and be ready to quickly benefit from next-
consumed with the production of a new magnet.
• New magnet covers, with Philips’ unique light ring and generation solutions. From small enhancements to
• It saves magnet weight that does not have to be
dual-sided control. major system conversions, we help you maximize your
transported, lifted or installed.
• New digital backbone, with fiber-optics from the RF investment, for success today and into the future.
coil to the reconstructor.
• New PC, reconstructor and latest software release.
SmartPath to dStream New install
SmartPath to dStream transforms your Philips MR system into digital Broadband MR
without replacing the magnet from your existing system. Saving you money on the
magnet itself and on the construction work that would be necessary with magnet
replacement, incl. reconstruction cost.
10 The smart approach to digital MR Please visit www.philips.com/smartpathtodstream The smart approach to digital MR 11