The Wayne State University Board of Governors approved the purchase of a magnetic resonance imaging system from Pennsylvania-based Siemens Medical Solutions USA Inc.

The contract, not to exceed $3,378,201, is for a 3T MAGNETOM Cima.X scanner, the most modern Food and Drug Administration-approved 3T human MRI system, which will be housed in the MR Core Research Facility at Wayne State.

The MAGNETOM Cima.X is Siemens’ strongest 3T MRI system ever, providing deeper insights into the human body. It offers an improved ultra-strong body gradient system that will dramatically improve the spatial and temporal resolution of the MR imaging critical for advancing the science in detecting finer anatomical structures and enhancing tissue characterization of the brain’s microstructure.

“It has a greater traditional temporal resolution, meaning you can take images at a faster pace and give us higher quality images and it has a better technology package that comes with it,” said Ezemenari Obasi, Ph.D., Wayne State’s vice president for Research. “Same, when you’re investing in technology space, you want to give what’s best available at that moment in time.”

The National Institute of Health allocated $2 million toward Wayne State’s purchase of the updated MRI system with a $1.378 million match from the Office of Vice President for Research and the Wayne State University School of Medicine.

Installation of the new MRI system is expected in May.