systemGE HealthCareMRIfamily: signa-hd

GE Signa Excite HD 1.5T

Family: GE Signa HD (legacy) · Modality: MRI

Predecessor of the Signa HDx in GE's 1.5T HD-generation line. Shipped broadly from the mid-2000s through c.2010. The Excite HD introduced GE's "High Definition" branding and the EchoSpeed Plus gradient generation into the Signa family, replacing the earlier Signa EchoSpeed / Signa LX non-HD scanners. Very large secondary-market population today — Excite HD is one of the most-traded GE 1.5T refurb platforms globally.

Platform highlights

  • EchoSpeed Plus gradients — 33 mT/m amplitude, 120 T/m/s slew. GE's gradient generation before the HFD gradients that shipped on HDx / HDxt.
  • 60 cm bore · 172 cm bore length — feet-first and head-out positioning supported.
  • 8 or 16 RF channels — 8-channel was the standard configuration; 16-channel was the advanced-applications tier.
  • HD23 host software — shared-lineage with HDx; applications licensing gates differ between tiers.
  • HD Reconstruction — real-time image reconstruction at the scanner workstation.
  • PROPELLER motion-correction sequences.
  • ASSET parallel imaging.
  • Adjustable in-bore lighting and ventilation · intercom — standard patient-comfort features.

Specs

  • 1.5 T · 60 cm bore · 172 cm bore length
  • EchoSpeed Plus gradients — 33 mT/m / 120 T/m/s
  • 8 or 16 RF channels (configuration-dependent)
  • HD23 host software
  • ASSET parallel imaging
  • PROPELLER motion correction

Clinical positioning

  • Community hospital and outpatient imaging 1.5T — routine neuro, MSK, body, vascular. The workhorse clinical scope at 1.5T for its era.
  • Mid-volume cardiac MRI on 16-channel configurations.
  • Breast MRI on 16-channel with dedicated breast coil.
  • MSK specialty imaging — high-channel phased-array coils for knee, shoulder, wrist.

Market position (secondary / refurb)

  • Very large global install base. Excite HD and HDx together represent the bulk of the GE 1.5T refurb population.
  • Entry-tier to mid-tier refurb capital — Excite HD is typically priced below HDx on the refurb market, reflecting gradient-generation and software differences.
  • Service ecosystem — GE OEM and multi-vendor service coverage mature on the HD-generation chassis.
  • Upgrade pathway — to Signa HDx and then Signa HDxt within the HD family; the step to a current-generation 70 cm wide-bore platform (Signa Artist / Signa Voyager) is a chassis replacement.

Relationship to siblings

  • Signa HDx 1.5T — direct successor. HFD gradient generation, updated host.
  • Signa HDxt 1.5T — successor-class.
  • Signa EchoSpeed / Signa LX — predecessor-class (System Cards planned).

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