Small Animal MRI Machines | Hallmarq Veterinary Imaging

Introduction

How it works

You diagnose and treat animals, not humans, so why not use a system built specifically with the veterinary practice in mind?

Your patients range from small to large with anatomy that requires dedicated hardware and software to optimize image quality. With 16 channels to help you see more and scan faster, a V-shaped patient bed, veterinary specific MRI coils and a unique hatch, this self-shielded system delivers the specialist technology your practice demands.

Every one of our customers receives online and live support, via state-of-the-art technology designed to continually monitor your system. Customers with our small animal MRI machines have scanned thousands of animals since the first installation.

We are proud sponsors of the Journal Club – a webinar-based series in collaboration with Neurology for Vets and hosted by Drs Laurent Garosi and Simon Platt.

Join us for the next one!

Features

Features & Benefits

Great images

Veterinary specific coils and sequences, along with the ability to use two coils simultaneously, allow for excellent images of those difficult to reach areas like the brachial plexus.

Affordable

Capped monthly payments help standardize and stabilize your overall cost of ownership and reduce the operational risks of implementing an MRI service.

99% uptime guarantee

Decrease costs, avoid wasted time and increase customer satisfaction with our 99% uptime guarantee as standard.

Unique self-shielded hatch

Our built in RF shield allows free access to your MRI room with video monitoring to increase patient safety.

Dual coil functionality

Our unique dual coil system provides a significant boost in signal intensity across larger body regions allowing fast scan times and pristine images of unparalleled diagnostic quality.

Q-Care Support from a world-class team

From initial enquiry through system installation and beyond, you’ll receive unparalleled support from a team dedicated to the veterinary profession.

Building on our unrivalled success in the equine market place, Hallmarq’s 1.5T high-field MRI system has the patient at the forefront of every design decision.

Details

Technical Specifications

This outlines some of the high-level technical specifications and considerations in planning for the installation of the Hallmarq Small Animal MRI system. Please consult the Site Planning Guide for additional details.

Hardware & Software
Rooms & Power

Hardware & Software

Key features
Field System	State-of-the-art veterinary specific 1.5T high field system
Spine coil	V-shaped spine coil for 20-percent better signal to noise ratio
Image protocols	Veterinary image protocols designed by MRI experts

Hardware
Field strength	1.5T
Channels	16
Energy efficiency	Up to 40% more energy efficient compared to used MRIs
Bore diameter	60 cm patient bore diameter

Rooms & Power

Standard Room
Total internal area	614 sqft (57 sqm)

MRI power requirements
Power type	3 Phase + Protective Earth
Main line transformer capacity	Minimum 100kVA
Voltage	380/400/420/440/460/480V AC +/- 5%
Amp service	126A (variable depending upon voltage)
Frequency	50/60 Hz
Earth grounding	The system requires grounding of 2 ohm or less

Chiller power requirements
Power type	3 Phase +PE
Voltage	460V AC
Amp service	70A
Frequency	60 Hz

Details

Clinical Uses

Spinal cord disease

Including spinal cord neoplasia, intervertebral disc disease, wobbler’s disease, ischemic myelopathy, nerve root compression and discospondylitis.

Brain disease

Including, but not limited to neoplasia, cerebrovascular events and inflammatory brain disease.

Skull and splanchnocranium

The only modality able to completely assess otitis externa-media-interna, including assessment of associated cranial nerves, cochlea and semi-circular canals along with the adjacent brainstem. Nasal and orbital disease can also be clearly assessed.

Cranial and Vertebral anomalies and genetic malformation screening

Assessment of congenital anomalies including vertebral malformations, Chiari-like malformation, and syringomyelia screening in pre-disposed breeds.

Stifle disease

Superior soft tissue imaging for assessment of cranial cruciate ligaments, meniscal injuries and muscular disease.

Shoulder disease

Superior soft tissue imaging for assessment of biceps and supraspinatus tendon pathology, joint capsule, brachial plexus disease and muscular disease.

Detailed imaging

Clinical Case Gallery

Specifically designed to image small animals, our 1.5T, zero boil-off, small animal MRI scanner captures superb images for a more accurate diagnosis. 

16-channel, self-shielded design: an array of veterinary optimized RF coils helps to properly position the patient.
Enhanced RF coil coverage: for superior image quality when compared to equivalent human optimized RF coils.
Extended v-shaped phased array spine coil: used in combination with our 8-channel flexible coil, increases scan coverage for larger breeds, enhancing image quality for difficult to scan regions, such as the brachial plexus.
Veterinary optimized MRI software: superb high-resolution detail including pre-saturation, fat suppression, blood flow compensation, single-shot fast spin echo, intensity correction and diffusion imaging with automatic ADC maps.

For real clinical examples from some of our installed scanners, click to browse…

A cross sectional small animal MRI image

“Hallmarq’s ability to use different coils and positioning to capture images is probably unparalleled.”
Dr. Billy Pullen, DVM, DACVIM (SAIM) Veterinary Care & Speciality Group, Chattanooga, TN

“I expect to see our caseload grow tremendously as word gets out about our neurology service and MRI capabilities.”
Dr. Baye Williamson, DVM, DACVIM Veterinary Emergency and Referral Center (VERC), Oahu, Hawaii

“Hallmarq’s 1.5T high-field magnet with its own shielding is revolutionary. It provides us with a lot more flexibility to look at our patients in greater detail.”
Dr. Christiane Massicotte, DVM, MS, PhD, DACVIM (Neurology) Veterinary Care & Speciality Group, Chattanooga, TN

“I worked with a 1.5T Siemens and GE machines prior to the Hallmarq unit. Comparing these machines of the same magnet size, Hallmarq’s machine creates images that are by far superior in quality and clarity which I have always attributed, to some degree, to the veterinary specific coils.”
Dr. Dana Gietzen, DVM Las Vegas Veterinary Speciality Center

“The addition of the Hallmarq MRI significantly improves our ability to diagnose and treat pets with brain and spinal cord abnormalities.”
Dr. Erika Sox, DVM, DACVIM Veterinary Emergency and Referral Center (VERC), Oahu, Hawaii

“I regularly review brain MRIs from other referral hospitals for second opinions. I’m very impressed with the quality of our Hallmarq MRI images relative to traditional used high-field MRIs. The clarity of our images strengthens our confidence in central nervous system disease diagnosis.”
Dr. Cody Alcott, DACVIM Tucson Veterinary Specialists, Tucson, AZ

“Hallmarq’s 1.5T MRI is designed specifically for small animal anatomy and delivers accurate and detailed images with great image resolution and contrast. The essential safety features and operator friendly software which make it an asset to any veterinary neurologist.”
Dr. Franziska Fitz, DVM, GPCertSAS, DACVIM (Neurology/ Neurosurgery) Las Vegas Veterinary Speciality Center

“At VCSG, we are very pleased with the image quality our Hallmarq MRI equipment provides. It has allowed us to give more specific diagnoses and state of the art treatment recommendations for our patients. The technical support from Hallmarq is also excellent.”
Dr. Massicotte, DVM, MS, PHD, DACVIM (Neurology) Veterinary Care & Speciality Group, Chattanooga, TN

“Hallmarq’s 1.5T MRI produces some of the best image quality I have encountered in veterinary neurology. This superior quality allows me to diagnose and treat my patients with confidence and provides me information to reach the best possible outcomes for the pets and their families.”
Dr. Kelli Mossine, DVM, DACVIM (Neurology) IndyVet, Indianapolis, IN

FAQs

Isn’t high-field MRI expensive?

The total cost of ownership is less than you may expect. With Hallmarq’s 1.5T Small Animal MRI, you can either buy the system outright or rent using our unique Flat Rate model. With our built-in RF shield, there is no need for a purpose-built shielded room; upfront capital expenditure is kept to a minimum and routine helium refills are not necessary. We’ve designed the system, from the ground up, to save on energy and our comprehensive Q-Care support program even includes software updates. Labour costs may also be minimised as the system is designed to be operated by a veterinary technician or nurse rather than a dedicated MRI Technologist.

Can I speak to an end-user?

How much space should I allocate?

The simple answer is about 613 sq. feet, or 57 sq. meters. When designing a space for MRI systems, there are many technical factors to consider which is why our Q-Care program includes help and advice from our in-house architect during the design phase. Room size is determined more by the size of the 5-gauss zone than the physical size of the machine. For Health and Safety reasons, the 5-gauss zone should be controlled and containing it within the MRI room offers the easiest way to do this. Other options which may allow a smaller MRI room are available, and we can advise on these if needed. We would be delighted to perform a free of charge feasibility study for you. Just send us a drawing of your hospital plans without obligation to email hidden; JavaScript is required

How good is Hallmarq’s Small Animal MRI image quality?

To deliver the image quality the industry expects, our unique veterinary specific coils have been designed to fit the anatomy of your patients. With the small animal in mind, we offer five different coils including a 1-meter long V-shape spine coil allowing for easy imaging of large breed dogs. This coil fits closely to your patients as they enter the MRI in dorsal recumbence and provides a 20% better signal than a flatbed made for humans. We also offer elongated head coils with removable tops for easier patient positioning. The system can also run two coils simultaneously; especially useful for imaging those difficult to reach areas such as the brachial plexus. By designing the machine with your patients in mind, and with sequences written specifically for the small animal, we get great results.
We continue to receive positive feedback from numerous Vet Radiologists and Vet Neurologists from around the world but please evaluate for yourself. Take a look at our Small Animal image gallery.

What is the uptime percent of the Hallmarq 1.5T Small Animal system?

We are proud to offer our sites a 99% uptime guarantee; the only one of its kind in the industry. Keeping your system running is our priority and we pride ourselves on the support and maintenance that we offer as standard through our Q-Care program.
With proactive rather than reactive support as standard, your system will experience virtually no downtime. Every five minutes, the system sends a signal to our headquarters, over a secure internet connection, allowing us to monitor over 100 parameters and respond to problems quickly. If there’s an issue, it’s we will likely have diagnosed and fixed it before you’re even aware! In addition, we can provide real-time support and coaching via our Virtual Presence platform in case you have any worries during a scan. This innovative and proven technology has been tried, tested and used on over 120,000 animals in the last 20 years.

Is this simply a refurbished human magnet?

We’ve decided on your Small Animal MRI system. How long do we wait before scanning our first patient?

Veterinary surgeon with a canine patient

Q-Care

We are your trusted partner for advanced veterinary imaging.

Providing high quality images is just the beginning. We’re here to help optimise your imaging service – from initial enquiry through installation and beyond. We guarantee support along your imaging journey, with an unrivalled program designed to add value to your practice.

Find out about Q-Care