AIR Technology™


AIR Technology™ is an industry-leading coil suite designed to truly conform to the human body. It was inspired by the desire to challenge the longtime limitations of traditional rigid coils.

By mimicking universal experiences that bring us all comfort and security, the AIR Technology™ coil suite is both comforting and comfortable. Each coil is lightweight, flexible and just like a blanket, they closely wrap around your patient for incredible image quality.

Design

Every time we found ourselves starting to
compromise, we started over

We set our sights on the highest attainable goal for coil design. Lightweight and ultra-flexible. It required a completely
new approach, but with so many possibilities for coil interference, it was easy to fall back into the trap of conventional designs.
Our product development team took a “never compromise” approach to stay focused when faced with a new challenge. And we
didn’t stop until we got it right.

Technology

This simple loop breaks every mold

It took two separate, but simultaneous research projects to develop the innovative technologies at the heart of AIR Technology. Together, they consolidate the functionality of the coil for efficiency. This simplified design is the basis for a revolutionary coil that is lighter, offers more flexibility and provides greater coverage.*

  • Weighs less than 0.3
    grams per cm2

  • Revolutionary coil
    design that is 60%
    lighter or more*

  • Industry-leading
    flexibility

It turns out you can out-engineer conventional wisdom

Developing a light, flexible loop is one thing, but finding a way to control loop-to-loop interactions was no small feat of engineering. Because of the low profile and performance of the E-mode electronics module, we were able to place it right at the base of each loop where it can better control the surrounding magnetic and electric fields. This allowed us to break free from critical overlap restrictions and arrange elements closer together.


  • Highest channel count in
    the industry

  • Improves parallel
    acceleration*

  • Increases signal-to-noise
    ratio and reduces
    imaging artifacts*

  • Simple, more durable design*

  • Improves signal quality
    by bringing the elements
    closer to the patient*

  • Streamlines and optimizes scan setup with AIR Touch
Comfort

Like being wrapped in a blanket

We wanted to design a coil that would free patients from the experience of traditional coils by replacing that experience with one that is both comfortable and comforting. For inspiration, we turned to objects that bring us comfort in our own lives. Using these objects as our guide, we designed AIR Technology to provide a feeling of warmth and security. Like being wrapped in a blanket.

Form fitting for every form



From young patients to professional athletes, AIR Technology comfortably conforms to the size and shape of every patient. Not only does this improve the scan experience, it has the added benefit of improving image quality by bringing the elements closer to your patient.

Light to the touch


AIR Technology not only behaves like a blanket, it truly feels like one. Its light weight is evenly distributed without any concentrated points of pressure. This may help patients feel more at ease, especially those who struggle with claustrophobia. It can comfortably be placed over sensitive areas and it’s light enough to use with young patients.

Positioning

Welcome everyone with a faster, more
comfortable experience

Technologists are faced with the challenge of keeping patients calm and relaxed through an unfamiliar experience, which often requires putting them into awkward positions. AIR Technology improves this experience with a coil that is light, form fitting and easy to position, so you can greet your patients with a faster, more comfortable exam.

Just holding these coils will inspire new ways to image

With AIR Technology, the shape of the coil no longer determines what you can do with it. You can put them right where you want them. Wrap it around a knee for a complete knee image. Or drape it over the torso of a high BMI patient. You can even move it from a hip to a knee on the same patient without having to move them. It’s the closest we’ve come to total positioning freedom.

Images

Get closer to what you need to see

Since the very first MR, coils have been both a bridge and a barrier between radiologists and what they need to see. The flexibility of AIR Technology makes it less of a barrier. By bringing the elements closer to the area-of-interest, it improves image quality. It also opens up opportunities to image patient types and anatomies that previously were challenging to image with conventional coil designs.

Future

We can’t think of anything it can’t do

It’s amazing what’s possible when you don’t compromise on design. With the introduction of these new coils, we are only just beginning to discover all that AIR Technology can do. We already have some exciting future applications in the works. What’s more, this amazing technology won’t be limited to one system. Look for AIR Technology on more GE Healthcare MR systems coming soon.

*Compared to previous generations of conventional coil technology