Esaote G-scan Open: Weight-Bearing MRI for Spine and Joints
Authorized Esaote weight-bearing MRI equipment supplier. The Esaote G-scan Open is an open, tilting MRI system dedicated to musculoskeletal and spine imaging. A proprietary tilting design positions patients in both supine and weight-bearing positions, because many spine and joint conditions appear more clearly when the patient is under natural physiological load. It is an ideal solution for spine surgeons, radiologists, chiropractors, sports medicine, and multidisciplinary clinics that want comprehensive assessments and greater confidence in surgical planning.
The G-scan Open combines more than thirty years of Esaote open MRI experience with the eXP technology platform and a permanent magnet that needs no helium or cryogens. It delivers high resolution imaging in supine and weight-bearing positions, unlocking pathologies that conventional supine scanners can miss, and adds Q-Spine biomechanical analysis and True-Motion dynamic joint imaging. The whole system fits in a single room of about 23 square meters and draws less than 3 kW during acquisition, which makes advanced imaging both accessible and sustainable.
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Open Tilting Design, Sustainable Footprint, and Patient Comfort
The G-scan Open is defined by what it can reveal and how easily it fits into a practice. A tilting weight-bearing magnet, an open anti-claustrophobic design, and a one-room sustainable footprint set it apart from conventional MRI. Full technical detail is in the expandable sections below.
Proprietary Tilting Design: the patient is scanned in both supine and weight-bearing positions, gently moving from a flat position to an upright load without repositioning stress
Weight-Bearing Insight: imaging under natural physiological load reveals disc herniation, spinal stenosis, segmental instability, and joint abnormalities of the knees, hips, and ankles that supine only scans can miss
Open, Anti-Claustrophobic Magnet: a wide gantry with real time monitoring and full patient visibility reduces anxiety, and published data show the premature termination rate falling from 58 percent on a closed bore magnet to 8 percent with the open configuration
Low Acoustic Noise: an extremely low noise level makes MRI more accessible for claustrophobic, elderly, and pediatric patients
Comfortable Patient Bed: an optimized bed supports both supine and weight-bearing exams in a single scan
One-Room Installation: the complete system needs a minimum of about 23 square meters, including electronics and console, so it fits inside existing offices
Sustainable Green MRI: low electrical consumption of 0.4 kVA off, 1.2 kVA in standby, and 2.4 kVA during acquisition keeps running costs and total cost of ownership low
No Helium or Cryogens: permanent magnet technology removes helium refills and cooling systems, which simplifies installation and improves reliability
Simple Power and Shielding: a standard 200 to 240 volt supply with no dedicated electrical line, and integrated RF cage shielding installed without additional construction costs
Stand-Alone Evaluation: a single system delivers a complete patient evaluation across supine, weight-bearing, and dynamic exams
Lowest Break-Even Point: examination costs are significantly lower than superconducting whole-body MRI, which delivers a rapid return on investment
How the G-scan Open compares against a conventional closed-bore supine MRI:
Weight-bearing MRI captures the spine and joints under the load they carry in daily life, which exposes instability, stenosis, and occult findings that supine only imaging can miss. Combined with True-Motion dynamic acquisition, the G-scan Open can also assess cervical flexion and extension, hip impingement, patellar tracking, and ligament stability during active movement. This functional perspective helps the surgical team decide between conservative treatment and surgery and, when surgery is indicated, which approach fits best.
Full Technical Specifications
Complete reference data for capital procurement, RFP submissions, and biomedical review. Radiology directors, orthopedic and spine surgeons, and biomedical engineers rely on this specification set when they evaluate a weight-bearing musculoskeletal MRI system. Expand each category for full detail.
| Magnet Type | Permanent magnet, open tilting design |
| Cryogens | No helium or cooling system required |
| Footprint | One-room system, minimum about 23 square meters or 245 square feet, including electronics and console |
| RF Shielding | Integrated RF cage shields installed without additional room modifications or construction |
| Power Supply | Standard 200 to 240 volt supply, 50 or 60 Hz, no dedicated electrical line |
| Reliability | Permanent magnet technology for high reliability and low maintenance |
| Consumption Off | 0.4 kVA |
| Consumption Standby | 1.2 kVA |
| Consumption Acquisition | 2.4 kVA, less than 3 kW |
| Installation | Plug-and-play one-room solution that fits in existing offices |
| Operating Cost | Low cost per examination and near-zero standby cost for a fast return on investment |
| Platform | eXP technology platform with advanced acquisition techniques |
| Speed-Up | Patented Speed-Up acceleration reduces scan time by up to about 44 percent without losing quality |
| TR Reduction | TR reduction further shortens exam times and increases throughput |
| Spine Sequence | 3DHYCE high resolution imaging for spine nerve roots |
| Cartilage Sequence | 3DSHARC high resolution 3D isotropic imaging for cartilage |
| Additional Sequences | Spin Echo Dixon (SPED) for fat and water separation and X-Bone techniques |
| Metal Artifact Reduction | MAR reduces distortion from metallic implants, available worldwide; X-MAR not available for sale in the USA |
| Spine Coils | XL L-Spine DPA, L-Spine large and small 4 channel, C-Spine DPA and linear |
| Lower Extremity | Knee DPA, Ankle-Foot DPA, flexible hip |
| Upper Extremity | Shoulder DPA, 3 channel and linear, Hand-Wrist DPA, elbow |
| Head and TMJ | Head DPA and TMJ dual channel |
| Positioning | Each coil supports both supine and weight-bearing positioning |
| Q-Spine | Semiautomatic spine segmentation with Listhesis Index, spinal canal section, vertebral collapse, 3D reconstruction, virtual canal navigation, and PDF report |
| True-Motion | Real time dynamic imaging of joint and C-spine movement |
| e-SPADES AI | Esaote integrated artificial intelligence for consistent image quality and streamlined workflow |
| Connectivity | DICOM 3.0 for PACS, HIS, and teleradiology, with Patient CD and optional network storage |
| Remote Support | Remote service and applications connections from the Esaote global network |
Clinical Applications
Deployed across orthopedics, spine surgery, sports medicine, and radiology where imaging the spine and joints under load and in motion changes the diagnosis and the surgical plan.
Tilting acquisition images the lumbar and cervical spine under natural load to expose instability, stenosis, and disc herniation that supine scans can miss.
True-Motion captures cervical flexion and extension, shoulder impingement, knee stability, and patellar tracking during active movement.
Dedicated coils for the knee, ankle, foot, hand, wrist, shoulder, and hip deliver high resolution musculoskeletal imaging.
Q-Spine quantifies the Listhesis Index, canal section, and vertebral collapse to support the choice between conservative treatment and surgery.
The open, low noise design reduces anxiety and lowers the premature termination rate for claustrophobic, elderly, and pediatric patients.
Metal Artifact Reduction minimizes distortion from metallic implants for accurate post-treatment monitoring.
From Loaded Positioning to a Quantified Spine Report
A weight-bearing MRI workflow built to image, quantify, and report under physiological load. Supine and weight-bearing positioning, accelerated acquisition, and Q-Spine quantification move the case from scan to surgical decision. Expanded workflow details are in the expandable sections below.
The patient is scanned on an optimized bed that supports both supine and weight-bearing exams in a single session. The proprietary tilting design gently moves the patient from a flat position to an upright, loaded position without repositioning stress, while the open gantry keeps the patient visible and monitored in real time.
The eXP platform drives acquisition with patented Speed-Up acceleration and TR reduction, which shorten scan time by up to about 44 percent without losing image quality. Dedicated sequences such as 3DHYCE for spine nerve roots, 3DSHARC for cartilage, and SPED Dixon for fat and water separation are optimized for both supine and weight-bearing acquisitions.
Q-Spine semiautomatically segments the spine and calculates the Listhesis Index, spinal canal section, and vertebral collapse, then builds a 3D reconstruction with virtual navigation inside the canal. True-Motion adds real time dynamic imaging of active joint and C-spine movement for functional insight that static MRI cannot provide.
Q-Spine generates a comprehensive PDF report with 3D reconstructions and quantitative comparisons between supine and weight-bearing exams. Full DICOM 3.0 connectivity routes images to PACS, HIS, and teleradiology, and e-SPADES AI helps keep image quality consistent across distributed operations.
Regulatory Compliance and Safety
FDA cleared as a weight-bearing MRI system, manufactured by Esaote S.p.A. of Italy. Medical Outfitters is an ISO 13485:2016 certified supplier of imaging equipment, so every Esaote G-scan Open ships through a documented and audited quality management system. Full compliance documentation is available in the expandable sections below.
FDA Cleared: the Esaote G-scan Open weight-bearing MRI system is FDA cleared.
ISO 13485: Medical Outfitters Inc. is independently ISO 13485:2016 certified as a supplier, so every system ships through a fully audited quality management system.
Metal Artifact Reduction: MAR is available worldwide, while X-MAR is not available for sale in the USA.
Manufacturer: the G-scan Open is manufactured by Esaote S.p.A. of Genova, Italy, one of the top diagnostic imaging providers globally and a long term developer of open MRI systems.
Italian Design: the system reflects Italian design and engineering with a worldwide service and applications network.
Green MRI: a permanent magnet with no helium and low power consumption supports a sustainable installation with a low total cost of ownership.
RoHS: Restriction of Hazardous Substances compliant.
REACH: EU REACH chemical regulation compliant.
Site Planning & Installation Review
Tell us your room dimensions and clinical focus across spine and joints. Our team confirms the one-room fit, the coil and software configuration, and coordinates installation and training.
Capital Equipment & RFP Support
Pricing, technical documentation, and logistics for weight-bearing MRI deployments. We support radiology directors, orthopedic and spine surgeons, and purchasing departments evaluating musculoskeletal MRI systems. Contact us for RFP packages.
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the most common purchase and clinical questions about the Esaote G-scan Open weight-bearing MRI system. Tap any question to expand.
The Esaote G-scan Open is an open, tilting weight-bearing MRI system dedicated to musculoskeletal and spine imaging. Its proprietary tilting design positions the patient in both supine and weight-bearing positions, so clinicians can assess spine and joint anatomy under natural physiological load. It runs on permanent magnet technology with no helium, fits in a single room of about 23 square meters, and is built for spine surgeons, radiologists, chiropractors, sports medicine, and multidisciplinary clinics.
Weight-bearing MRI lets the patient assume an upright, loaded position during scanning rather than lying flat. Many symptoms and conditions of the spine and joints, such as disc herniation, spinal stenosis, and segmental instability, appear more clearly under natural physiological load. By capturing the body in its natural state, weight-bearing MRI reveals structural and functional findings that a supine only scan can miss.
A conventional closed-bore MRI images the patient only in a supine position inside a tunnel shaped magnet. The G-scan Open uses an open, tilting permanent magnet that scans in both supine and weight-bearing positions, captures pathology under load, and reduces claustrophobia. In published comparisons, the premature termination rate dropped from 58 percent with a closed bore magnet to 8 percent with an open MRI configuration.
Q-Spine is an advanced support tool that visualizes and quantifies biomechanical changes between weight-bearing and supine lumbar spine examinations. Based on semiautomatic segmentation of the spine, it measures parameters such as the Listhesis Index, spinal canal section, and vertebral collapse, generates a 3D reconstruction of the spine with virtual navigation inside the canal, and produces a PDF report to improve confidence in diagnosis and pre-surgical planning.
True-Motion uses the open magnet design to image joints while the patient performs active movements, providing real time functional information. It lets clinicians evaluate cervical spine flexion and extension, shoulder impingement, knee stability, and patellar tracking during motion, which is functional insight that static, supine only MRI cannot reveal.
The G-scan Open is a one-room system that needs a minimum of about 23 square meters, or 245 square feet, including electronics and console. It is a plug-and-play solution with low electrical consumption of 0.4 kVA when off, 1.2 kVA in standby, and 2.4 kVA during acquisition, which is less than 3 kW. It requires no helium or cooling system, no dedicated electrical line, and uses a standard 200 to 240 volt supply.
Yes. The Esaote G-scan Open weight-bearing MRI system is FDA cleared. Medical Outfitters Inc. is ISO 13485:2016 certified as the supplying distributor, so every system ships through an audited quality management system. Metal Artifact Reduction is available worldwide, while X-MAR is not available for sale in the USA.
Through Medical Outfitters Inc., ISO 13485:2016 certified, Miami, FL. We supply systems with nationwide installation support, site planning, and training, backed by the Esaote global service network. Call (305) 885-4045 or request a quote online.
Compatible Equipment
Other MRI systems to consider alongside the G-scan Open, from the Fujifilm Echelon Smart 1.5T whole-body MRI to the wide bore Echelon Synergy and the helium independent Echelon Smart ZeroHelium.
Fujifilm Echelon Smart ZeroHelium
1.5T MRI · sealed magnet · helium independent · flexible siting
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