From Toshiba America Medical Systems Inc.;
the Ultra™ system was developed to help healthcare providers be more competitive by delivering greater patient comfort and a broad range of clinical capabilities, says Anita Bowler, product manager, MRI Business Unit, Toshiba America Medical Systems Inc With its unique, powerful gradient technology, the Ultra™ performs advanced clinical studies and consistently provides high-resolution images that are typically associated with high field MRI systems. At the same time, the Ultra™ offers a truly open feeling that makes patients more relaxed, especially those with claustrophobic tendencies.

The mobile intraoperative iMotion system produces real-time images used for MR guided surgery and offers functional magnetic resonance imaging, MR spectroscopy, perfusion imaging, and diffusion weighted imaging capabilities.
The iMotion 1.5 T magnet moves to the patient, gliding in and out of place as needed, without affecting surgical, anesthetic, and nursing management.

See also Intraoperative Magnetic Resonance Imaging, MR Guided Interventions.

From ISOL Technology

'Next generation MRI system 1.5T CHORUS developed by ISOL Technology is optimized for both clinical diagnostic imaging and for research development.
CHORUS offers the complete range of feature oriented advanced imaging techniques- for both clinical routine and research. The compact short bore magnet, the patient friendly design and the gradient technology make the innovation to new degree of perfection in magnetic resonance.'

Lung imaging is furthermore a challenge in MRI because of the predominance of air within the lungs and associated susceptibility issues as well as low signal to noise of the inflated lung parenchyma. Cardiac and respiratory triggered or breath hold sequences allow diagnostic imaging, however a comparable image quality with computed tomography is still difficult to achieve.
Assumptions for lung MRI:
The current trends in MRI are the use of new imaging technologies and increasingly powerful magnetic fields. Among these technologies are parallel imaging techniques as well as ventilation agents like hyperpolarized helium for the use as an inert inhalational contrast agent to study lung ventilation properties. With hyperpolarized gases clear images of the lungs can be obtained without using a large magnetic field (see also back projection imaging). Single shot sequences (e.g. TSE or Half Fourier Acquisition Single Shot Turbo Spin Echo HASTE) used in lung MR imaging benefits from parallel imaging techniques due to reduced relaxation time effects during the echo train and therefore reduced image blurring as well as reduced motion artifacts.
In the future, more effective contrast agents may provide an alternative solution to the need for high field MRI. Dynamic contrast enhanced MRI perfusion has demonstrated a potential in the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism or to characterize lung cancer and mediastinal tumors. 3D contrast enhanced magnetic resonance angiography of the thoracic vessel.

See also the related poll result: 'MRI will have replaced 50% of x-ray exams by'

(IVIM) Spins moving in fluids with different velocities and possibly in different directions. This is being found to a small degree in all tissues as a result of capillary perfusion or diffusion. Important velocity changes occur as one moves from the vessel wall towards the center of the vessel. Hence, spins (to a variable degree) have different velocities within a single imaging voxel.
This effect can be measured using special pulse sequences such as in diffusion imaging or diffusion weighed imaging. When the velocity differences are marked, as occurs in larger blood vessels, effects due to IVIM are visible in standard MR images and give rise to flow related dephasing. The effects are more visible when longer echo times are used.