T he En l i g h t e n e d Ch o i c e f o r Hi g h - f i e l d MRI

ECHELON Smart heralds the dawn of

a new standard for 1.5T superconductive MRI.

The ECHELON Smart features a small footprint with economics that do not

compromise diagnostic quality and speed.

Based on Hitachi's proprietary technology, this system has opened up the

potential for 1.5T systems, providing superb image quality and superior

install flexibility inherited from permanent-magnet MRI systems.

ECHELON Smart offers new options for superconductive MRI.

ECHELON
Smart
KEY FEATURES
01 SmartCOMFORT
02 SmartQUALITY
03 SmartSPEED
04 SmartECO
05 SmartSPACE

2 3
 01 SmartCOMFORT SmartCOMFORT
OFF

Patient-Friendly
Quiet Examination SmartCOMFORT
ON

Various technologies exist to reduce MRI imaging noise.

However, low-noise MRI systems often compromise image
quality or extend imaging time, making them unsuitable for
routine use. Other approaches need special hardware that
prevents their widespread acceptance. Hitachi’s SmartCOMFORT
noise reduction technology reduces the imaging noise by up to
94%x.
x
Varies with the imaging conditions.

Hitachi's noise reduction technology has minimal impact on

image contrast or imaging time.
With SmartCOMFORT, the shape of the gradient magnetic field pulse has been changed and

the imaging parameters adjusted, keeping a balance between the imaging time, contrast, image

SN ratio, and spatial resolution to reduce any impact the noise reduction technology may have.

Changing the waveform of the gradient magnetic field changes

the frequency characteristics.
Gradient magnetic field strength

2
Gradient magnetic field strength

1
1.5 Trapezoidal 0.8 Trapezoidal

Triangular
0.6 Triangular
1
0.4
0.5
0.2
0 0
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500
Time (ms) Frequency (Hz)

Gradient magnetic field pulse forms and frequency components

Principle of imaging noise reduction

The gradient magnetic field waveform is given by the product of the applied current and
application time. This waveform also changes the sound quality.

94
SmartCOMFORT can be used together with the motion artefact
reduction technology, RADAR (RADial Acquisition Regime).

NOISE
REDUCTION

Example of RADAR + SmartCOMFORT image

%
4 5
 03 SmartSPEED
Reduction of
Total Examination Time
To boost your productivity, ECHELON Smart offers features
that streamline workflow and enhance throughput, such as
AutoPose and Parameter Guidance function for easy and fast
operation. Fast scan capabilities and robust scan techniques
to reduce re-scanning contribute to shorter scan times, and
on-console analysis functions reduce the transfer time of
data to the workstation. With the SmartSPEED feature, your
operational efficiency is improved.

Exit MRI room – Exit MRI room –

Enter MRI room Smart Conventional

02 SmartQUALITY

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Superb Image Quality Realized by

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Sophisticated Technologies

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The advanced specification of MRI sub-systems makes the most important impact
on the delivery of image quality without compromise. ECHELON Smart is equipped Smart

with powerful sub-systems including the SmartENGINE which supports high quality
imaging and a high performance RF system to empower robust imaging
Conventional
technologies.
Time

6 7
 17
LESS
04 SmartECO ENERGY

Ecological with
Economical Running Cost %
Superconductive MRI systems generally command high running costs. These costs
are mainly related to the high power consumption of the cooling system necessary to
maintain superconductivity. ECHELON Smart is equipped with an energy saving
function that can stop the cooling system for a certain length of time during periods
of non-use or on nonconsultation days. This function effectively reduces the power
consumption whilst maintaining zero Helium boil-off. Furthermore, as the heat emission
from the cooling system itself also decreases during these periods, the power
consumption of its heat-dissipating unit is also cut.

05 SmartSPACE
Small Footprint and
Flexible Layout
It is often a matter of concern whether there is sufficient space
in the equipment room for a superconductive MRI system
installation. ECHELON Smart has an extended cable length
between the main MRI gantry and the power unit in the equipment
room. This enables flexible layouts that can remove some of the
hurdles faced when introducing an MRI system.

8 9
 Attain "high image quality" and "high speed" in
clinical practice with the combination of
Hitachi's applications, operations, and hardware.

Smart Smart
APPLICATION OPERATION

All Around RADAR Coil System

Plaque Imaging AutoPose

isoFSE User Interface

BeamSat TOF Suggestion UI

VASC-ASL

BSI Smart
HARDWARE
FatSep

H-Sinc SmartENGINE

TIGRE 16ch Receiver System

T2* RelaxMap / High Performance

R2* RelaxMap Gradient System

High Performance

ECHELON
RF System
Smart
IMAGE GALLERY
Smart Sentinel Analytics

CAPABILITIES

10 11
 Application / ECHELON Smart

Smart
APPLICATION
Applications which are able to enhance head and thoraco-abdominal images.

All Around RADAR SE T1WI isoFSE

Combined use of RADAR in sequences High-Definition 3D imaging made possible by
required for routine head examinations optimizing RF application patterns

RADAR mitigates motion artefacts and so increases diagnostic isoFSE is a high-speed 3D imaging function for isovoxels. The
confidence when imaging across a range of sequences. It can flip angles of refocussed pulses of FSE are varied to suppress
be applied to all receiver coils and arbitrary imaging cross- the influence from signal strength fluctuations of MultiEchoes
sections and can even be used in combination with high-speed and enable high definition 3D imaging. The optimization of these
imaging. ECHELON Smart supports TOF and GRE sequences application patterns results in high contrasts achieved with
RADAR OFF 2:24 RADAR ON 2:39
and, with the combined use of RADAR for most of the sequences T1WI, T2WI, and FLAIR images.
FSE T2WI
required for routine head examinations, realizes "All Around The high spatial resolution volume data acquired in imaging can
Reconstruction available for any cross-section
RADAR". be used to reconstruct images of any cross-section in MPR
processing.

All Around BeamSat pulse excitation BeamSat pulse excitation

RADAR
RADAR RAPID RADAR BeamSat TOF° chart (schematic diagram) profile

Greater visibility of haemodynamic changes, RF

FA
Many coils/oblique Compatible with
Free sequences high-speed imaging Compatible with TOF/GRE for example, due to stenosis.
Gx Y
T1WI T2WI FLAIR PDI DWI TOF T2*WI RADAR OFF 2:32 RADAR ON 2:42
Routine head imaging Newly added Pencil-Beam type pre-saturation (BeamSat) pulses based on Gy
the application of local excitation are used in TOF imaging to Time X

selectively suppress some of the blood flow signals required for High-precision control of pre-satu- Beam-form pre-saturation
identification of the haemodynamics. ration pulses using the spiral-type pulse realized by a high system
Effects of RADAR in TOF MRA and GRE T2*WI TOF MRA two-dimensional excitation method performance

RADAR has been applied to Gradient Echo sequences using a

high-precision signal correction technology. This has enabled If imaging is conducted with BeamSat pulses specified for a
the combined use of RADAR in all sequences required for target blood vessel, the flow signals of that vessel can be
routine head examinations. suppressed, and the dominant region can be identified.
RADAR OFF 4:28 RADAR ON 4:49 BeamSat pulses can be set to arbitrary positions and angles
TOF MRA using a special GUI. The positions of BeamSat pulses can be
set freely with respect to a target vessel.

Special GUI for BeamSat BeamSat pulse setting example on

RADAR OFF 4:23 RADAR ON 4:53 the left ICA
(without synchronization) (without synchronization)

Plaque Imaging° RADAR-SE SIR Map 200 Subtraction of images with and without BeamSat pulses can be
Hemorrhage
displayed in a reversed black-and-white image to visualize it as
For diagnosis of plaque characteristics 150 in MR-DSA.
Lipid
ROI 120
Diagnosis of carotid artery plaque characteristics requires an Fibrous
Reference Without BeamSat With BeamSat
MR image with high T1 contrast. 100
TR: 500 ms, TE: 15 ms
Asynchronous RADAR-SE method MRI
plaque imaging of the carotid artery Colour map of the carotid artery plaque

The asynchronous RADAR-SE method By normalizing the ROI signal strength

to which Radial Scan has been applied to a reference, the SIR Map displays a
maintains a constant TR without colour map of signal strength ratios.
influence from pulsation, and can Applying this to Plaque Imaging could
conduct imaging with a high T1 contrast facilitate diagnosis of the plaque Subtraction image
appropriate for diagnosis of plaque characteristics. (reversed black-and-white image)
characteristics.

ºOptional
12 13
 Application / ECHELON Smart

Smart
APPLICATION

VASC-ASL (Veins and Arteries Sans Contrast-Arterial Spin Labeling) H-Sinc

Visualization of fast blood flow IR pulse OFF Fat suppression method resistant to non-uniform RF
in renal arteries and portal veins radiation

VASC-ASL is a non-contrast imaging method that can visualize IR pulse ON Uniform RF radiation is one element required to achieve a high fat
fast blood flow in the renal artery and portal vein in the abdomen. suppression effect. In general, achieving uniform RF radiation in a
This feature visualizes blood flows labelled with IR pulses using the large FOV is difficult. H-Sinc applies more than one CHESS pulse
3D BASG sequence and does not require ECG/pulse wave Subtraction
to realize fat suppression, minimizing the impact from non-uniform
synchronization. image RF radiation. A stable fat suppression effect can be achieved even
Selectively applying IR pulses upstream in the blood vessels to be over a large range.
visualized and acquiring images when the blood flow is stationary
(a) Portal veins (b) Renal arteries
enables the incoming labelled blood flow to be visualized as Black a1 a2 a3
Examples of VASC-ASL images
Blood. Therefore, by capturing images twice with selective IR RF
Conventional
pulses ON and OFF and acquiring a subtraction image, blood flows CHESS method

labelled with IR pulses will be visualized as a high-intensity area. GC

H-Sinc pulse part This sequence part Wide-range, stable fat suppression with H-Sinc
H-Sinc method

H-Sinc Comparison of
remaining fat signals

BSI (Blood Sensitive Imaging)º TIGRE

Image acquisition by sensitively reflecting Acquisition of clear images with high-precision fat
differences in magnetic susceptibility suppression

High-speed, high-resolution 3D T2*WI imaging is used to The use of TIGRE enables dynamic imaging in organs such as the
acquire images that sensitively reflect differences in magnetic liver. The large fat component in the abdomen and breast regions
susceptibility. require high-precision fat suppression. Hitachi has realized uniform
Hitachi's BSI offers high-speed imaging using EPI measurement. fat suppression effects and dynamic imaging in the abdomen and
Venous blood and hemorrhage cause loss of signals in T2* images breast through combined use of high uniformity of the static Breast TIGRE image
due to BOLD (blood-oxygen level dependent) effects. BSI performs magnetic field and H-Sinc which corrects for RF non-uniformity.
minimum intensity projection (minIP) processing and superimposes
phase information to further increase the contrast of images.
Slice encoding

Phase encoding
H-Sinc
Number of
Dummy segments
Examples of BSI (minIP) images

FatSep TIGRE principle diagram

Abdominal dynamic TIGRE image
Fat suppression method resistant to changes in Fat Water
magnetic susceptibility using frequency differences T2* RelaxMap / R2* RelaxMapº
between water and fat
Colour map display of T2* values to improve
Out of phase Water image RF
the visibility of iron deposition
Using the difference in resonant frequencies between water and fat Echo

protons due to chemical shifts, both water and fat images can be Principle of fat/
acquired in one round of imaging. FatSep acquires data when the water separation This function can map the distribution of T2* values to improve the T2* RelaxMap
Anatomical image
MR signals of water and fat are respectively in phase and out of In phase
measurement
Fat image visibility of iron deposition in liver tissue. A special sequence based Signal
strength
phase, and adds or subtracts them to generate water and fat on the GRE method (ADAGE) is available to acquire MultiEcho
images. images used to automatically calculate T2* values. When an Anatomical +

FatSep can output images according to a degree of change in analysis is conducted on the console, a colour map of these T2* T2* value image

magnetic susceptibility. If there is a greater change in magnetic values is superimposed on a morphological image to create a T2* T2* coefficient

susceptibility, Fine Mode can be selected to give a high-definition RelaxMap. You can also create an R2 (Relaxation rate) map based MultiEcho sequence and Echo count
T2* attenuation
phase map and enhance the image quality. on 1/T2* values. The relative colour display of an area with
shortened T2* values can be used as a quantitative evaluation of
FatSat FatSat Normal FatSat Fine iron deposits.

ºOptional
14 15
 Smart IMAGE GALLERY
Neuro Vascular Spine

DWI BSI

ADAGE-T2*WI

FatSep-T2WI (In) FatSep-T2WI (Sub)

3D-TOF MRA (MIP) ASL-Perfusion BPAS

HighRes-T2WI

3D-TOF WideMRA (MIP)

isoFSE-FLAIR (VR) isoFSE-MPR (Axial) isoFSE-MPR (COR) WholeSpine-T2WI 3D-BASG (MIP) 3D-RSSG-MPR (Obl) HighRes-T2WI (Reverse)

Body MSK

RADAR-FatSat T2WI (RG)

3D-isoFSE MRCP (MIP)

HighRes-PDWI ADAGE-T2*WI
Body-DWI (Reverse)

VASC-ASL (MIP)

ADAGE-T2*WI

VASC-ASL (VR) VASC-ASL (MIP) BASG-Cine VASC-FSE (MIP) WholeBody-DWI (MIP) FatSat PDWI HighRes-T2WI T2 RelaxMap (ColourMap)

16 17
 Operation / ECHELON Smart

Smart
To boost your

OPERATION
productivity, ECHELON

Smart offers features

A comprehensive range of features that streamline operation that streamline workflow
for greater diagnostic performance
and enhance throughput,
Coil system AutoPose
such as AutoPose and
Receiver coils that offer ease of setting and achieve superb image quality Operation time reduced with assistance for selecting the imaging
cross-section Parameter Guidance
The number of receiver coils that must be set prior to the examination has been
minimized to reduce replacement time and effort. With a system designed for ease Slice line setting can be time-consuming even for experienced operators. AutoPose function for easy and
of use and with the adoption of special receiver coils for individual regions, significant helps you to determine the slice line more quickly and accurately. Following the
reduction in examination time has been attained whilst maintaining high image acquisition of a scanogram, the AutoPose process takes one or two seconds to fast operation.
quality. move the slice line automatically to the preset cross-section. During the acquisition
of a sensitivity map, fine manual adjustment of the slice line can be performed, ready
for imaging to start.

Coil System Sensitivity map

Acquisition sequence
Traditional Scanogram T1WI T2WI
for head & neck for spine for abdomen for joints method
Manual positioning

Sensitivity map
Positioning
Acquisition sequence
time
AutoPose Scanogram T1WI T2WI
reduced
Fine
AutoPose
adjustment

Time

Coil system setting

Slice line preset window AutoPose slice line

This function is available immediately after installation using The one or two second AutoPose processing sets the slice
Head & neck examination Spine regions examination registered preset cross-section settings that suit the needs of line according to the cross-section setting registered for your
your medical institution. medical institution.

User Interface
Streamlines setting and changing of protocols

An easy-to-use interface is available.

Suggestion Parameters
Abdominal examination Four-limb joint examination
Supports change of imaging conditions

This function provides guidance for parameter settings. During protocol change,
several options are displayed to allow the operator to select the parameter most
appropriate for that particular scenario.

18 19
 Hardware / ECHELON Smart

Smart
HARDWARE
Hitachi technologies enhance image quality

ECHELON Smart is SmartENGINE High Performance Gradient System

equipped with powerful Optimizing the image SN ratio on multi-channel receiver coils High slew rate compatible with high-speed and high-performance imaging

sub-systems which The ECHELON Smart is powered by a high-speed A/D converter (Analog to Digital Shortening the TE (echo time) for the signal receiver is essential for achieving high-
Converter) which directly digitizes the high frequency signal, suppressing noise to enhance speed imaging, excellent MRA images, and high-performance imaging. ECHELON
include the SmartENGINE image quality. It also incorporates an optimum image synthesizing technique allowing the Smart's powerful gradient magnetic field system with a high slew rate power supply of
precise adjustment of the image synthesis ratio taking into account the noise correlation 130mT/m/s can shorten the gradient magnetic field stabilization time and consequently
supporting high quality during composition of signals from the elements to improve the total image SN ratio by can further shorten the minimum TE.
8%x and thus provide excellent clinical images. This technology is particularly effective for Furthermore, this slew rate is sufficient to support super-high speed sequences such as
imaging and a high multi-channel receiver coils in which the coil elements are segmented. EPI that generate echo signals continuously. By reversing the gradient magnetic field, it
x
Varies by receiver coil and imaging conditions. is effective for imaging that requires high-speed switching without influencing the image
quality.
performance RF system to
Stabilization time Example of super-high speed
empower robust imaging sequence (EPI)
Gradient High slew rate
magnetic field
technologies. waveform
・・・・・・

Echo time: TE
Stabilization time
Low slew rate

Gradient ・・・・・・
magnetic field
waveform
16-channel receiver coil imaging setting
Echo time: TE

RAPID high-speed imaging technology High Performance RF System

Reach higher sensitivity and stability RF power output that ensures stable maintenance of radiation waveforms

The elements of the receiver coils have been downsized to double the number of receiver ECHELON Smart is equipped with an RF power output of 18 kW. This is sufficient to
channels from 8 to 16. This has improved the receiver sensitivity, achieved a high image provide clear images without deterioration of image quality even in FSE sequences that
SN ratio, and realized less noise from multi-channel receiver coils in the abdomen and apply refocussing pulses continuously.
other regions, which so far was not possible with an independent receiver using an
8-channel system. Thus, thanks to the greater number of receiver coil elements combined
with our high-speed imaging technology RAPID, our system is able to achieve higher
sensitivity and image stability.
180º

90º

8-channel receiver system 16-channel receiver system Sufficient RF power RF

BL1 BL2 BL3 BL4 BL1 BL2 BL3 BL4

ch1 ch1 ch9
BL5 BL6 BL7 BL8 ch2 BL5 BL6 BL7 BL8 ch2 ch10
ch3 ch3 ch11
ch4 ch4 ch12
180º
ch5 ch5 ch13
ch6 ch6 ch14 90º
SL1 SL2 SL3 SL4 ch7 SL1 SL2 SL3 SL4 ch7 ch15
ch8 ch8 ch16
Insufficient RF power
SL5 SL6 SL7 SL8 SL5 SL6 SL7 SL8 prolonging RF
radiation intervals
Each receiver coil
for the abdominal A total of 16 elements is bundled A total of 16 elements as it is.
region has 8 elements. into 8 elements.

20 21
 Sentinel Analytics
Improving the uptime through failure sign diagnosis

Achieving higher uninterrupted system availability and optimizing maintenance costs remain challenges for conventional

remote support services for medical devices. Hitachi has accumulated and analyzed Big Data to develop a new

system that utilizes its "Failure Sign Diagnosis Service" to launch "Sentinel Analytics", a failure sign diagnostic service

for superconductive MRI systems.

With the failure sign diagnosis based on IoT *1, the inspection and parts replacement cycles can be optimized and the system availability can be improved.

Highly accurate failure sign diagnostics

Sentinel
Adoption of Lumada*4

Big data Machine learning

Failure sign diagnostics Predictive

Sensor data Sampled data
maintenance
Sentinel Analytics

Data accumulation
Collect data from systems all over Pentaho*3
the world through IoT/M2M*2

Major features and advantages Conceptual diagram of Sentinel Analytics Service site

Constant system monitoring

The Sentinel server monitors the system state 24 hours a day.
Sentinel browser
Fire wall
Monitoring information check, System status screen
Automatic notification feature operation diagnosis, etc.
When the Sentinel server detects either a malfunction or a lowered performance of the system, Internet
an alert is automatically reported to the Hitachi service site. This helps prevent the occurrence Fire wall
Server site
of a malfunction. Furthermore, a corrective measure is quickly taken in case of malfunction.
Server group
Monitoring information collection,
Customer's site information control, communication
control
Direct connection feature Fire wall When error is detected
This feature provides service via direct connection of the service site and your system. To track Hitachi's service personnel
down the causes of a malfunction, we check artefacts and abnormal images, check image data
before reconstruction (raw data) and run test programs on the system.

Data Security Automatic notification mail

Features such as encryption of communication data and communication based on mutual
*1 IoT (Internet of Things): A system in which various devices with communication functions exchange information via the Internet to realize identification, monitoring, and control of such devices.
authentication are available to protect patient information. Furthermore, the specification does *2 M2M (Machine-to-Machine) : A system of direct exchange of information between machines via a network without human intervention.
not allow recognition of personal information included in patient lists and images (such as a *3 Pentaho : Big Data analysis software available from Pentaho Corporation, a subsidiary of Hitachi Data Systems Corporation of the U.S.
*4 Lumada : Lumada is Hitachi's IoT Core Platform.
patient's name, sex, weight, age, and date of birth) on the Sentinel server and the service site.

22 23
 · ECHELON, Sentinel, Sentinel Analytics, VASC, FatSep and Lumada are registered trademarks or trademarks of Hitachi, Ltd. in Japan and
other countries.
· P entaho is a registered trademark or trademark of Hitachi Data Systems Corporation in Japan and other countries.
· S pecifications and physical appearance may change without prior notice.
· Please refer to the operation manual and the related documents for appropriate use of this product.

Manufactured and distributed by

Hitachi, Ltd.
2-16-1, Higashi-Ueno, Taito-ku, Tokyo, 110-0015, Japan

Distributor for Europe

Hitachi Medical Systems Europe Holding AG
Sumpfstrasse 13, 6300 Zug, Switzerland
www.hitachi-medical-systems.com

CP-E251 / 2017-06-3K-(D) EU-Version/EN, 07/2017