systemPhilipsMRIfamily: intera

Philips Intera 1.5T

Family: Philips Intera · Modality: MRI

Philips' pre-Achieva 1.5T workhorse. Shipped broadly across the 2000s as the Intera Master (standard gradient) and Intera Nova (higher-performance gradient) configurations. Intera is the direct predecessor of the Achieva platform; both share the F2000 magnet family, and the transition from Intera to Achieva was primarily software, coil, and gradient-generation evolution rather than a magnet replacement. Very large secondary-market install base globally.

Platform highlights

  • F2000 magnet — the 1.5T superconducting magnet family that carried through to early Achieva.
  • Master and Nova gradient configurations — Master is the standard clinical tier; Nova offered stronger gradients for cardiac / neuro advanced applications.
  • 60 cm bore width with 60 cm bore length flaring to 110 cm at the ends — a patient-comfort design element characteristic of Philips MRI of the era.
  • 16 RF receive channels.
  • SENSE parallel imaging — Philips' parallel imaging technology. Enabled contrast-enhanced MRA, cardiac MR, and early DTI workflows on Intera before the more modern Ingenia dStream architecture arrived.
  • 53 cm field of view.
  • syngo-equivalent Philips MR host — Philips' proprietary MR operating environment with licensing-tier applications.

Specs

  • 1.5 T · 60 cm bore · 60 cm bore length · 110 cm flared opening
  • F2000 magnet
  • Master or Nova gradient family
  • 16 RF channels
  • SENSE parallel imaging
  • 53 cm FOV
  • Coil family: SENSE NV (head/neck), SENSE Spine, SENSE Knee, SENSE Shoulder, SENSE Flex (S/M/L)
  • Software suite: Basic SW, IHE Software, SMART-Scan brain, Advanced EPI, GraSE, DWI, Q-Flow, Thrive, Functional MRI

Clinical positioning

  • Community and mid-size hospital 1.5T — routine neuro, MSK, body, abdominal, cardiac (Master or Nova depending on cardiac volume).
  • Outpatient imaging — chest / abdomen / MSK high-throughput.
  • Advanced neuro with Nova gradients — DTI, EPI-based fMRI basic, MRS.
  • Cardiac MRI — Nova gradients were the minimum configuration for cardiac programs; Master sites generally stayed out of advanced cardiac.

Market position (secondary / refurb)

  • Very large international install base. Intera 1.5T is among the most traded Philips MRI platforms globally; particularly common in European and Asia-Pacific refurb channels.
  • Entry-tier refurb for a Philips 1.5T; buyers stepping up typically move to Achieva 1.5T or Ingenia 1.5T.
  • Service ecosystem — Philips OEM service continues; multi-vendor service mature on the F2000 magnet and Master / Nova gradient hardware.
  • Coil inventory is critical at acceptance — SENSE coils are licensed/serialized; a Philips MRI without its coils is a gutted asset.

Relationship to siblings and successors

Related