[Remote control for magnetic resonance imaging as a part of daily routine examinations]

Continuous improvements in MR technology have lead to an increased number of clinical indications, such as whole-body MRI, as well as demanding examination protocols. A remote control (syngo Expert-i, Siemens Medical Solutions) allows radiologists and other experts to support the scan at any time without being physically present at the MR site. Consequently a high level of expertise is available for every exam. The radiologist can simply log on from any networked PC and a full-screen display with total mouse control within the MR console's user interface is provided. A local user can be advised with respect to the imaging strategy while the patient is still inside the scanner, thus resulting in a more time-efficient high-quality examination protocol. This paper provides an account of our initial experiences using the remote control and describes practical future applications.