News • Gravity
How living in outer space effects the eyesight
Researchers have studied the Spaceflight-Associated Neuro-Ocular Syndrome (SANS). For that they compared brain scans before and after spaceflight.
MRI
News • Neuroimaging
Stroke: MRI scan in an ambulance
Doctors work on initiatives to cut down the steps that need to happen between the time a stroke patient is wheeled through the ambulance bay until treatment can begin.
News • In teens
Multiple concussions can disrupt brain connectivity
Adolescents and young adults with post-concussive symptoms who suffered three to five concussions showed disruption in the default mode network, an interconnected network of brain regions involved in wakeful rest and internal thoughts.
News • Breast MRI study
IUDs have systemic effects on the body
Intrauterine contraceptive devices (IUDs) appear to have systemic effects on the body like those of hormone replacement therapy, according to a breast MRI study being presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).
Article • Over-detection and biopsies
New procedures for prostate cancer screening
Organised screening enabling early detection and treatment of prostate cancer can reduce death by an impressive 20%, based on 16 years of findings of over 160,000 men participating in the landmark European Randomised Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer (ERSPC).
News • AI-enhanced imaging
Detecting Diabetes with Whole-Body MRI
Type 2 diabetes can be diagnosed with a whole-body magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. This is shown by a current study by researchers from the German Center for Diabetes Research, the Institute of Diabetes Research and Metabolic Diseases of Helmholtz Zentrum München at the University of Tübingen, the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems and Tübingen University Hospital. They used…
News • Advanced neuro-imaging
High-definition MRI reveals previously hidden territory of the human brain
Neuroscientists at Technische Universität Dresden discovered a novel, non-invasive imaging-based method to investigate the visual sensory thalamus, an important structure of the human brain and point of origin of visual difficulties in diseases such as dyslexia and glaucoma. The new method could provide an in-depth understanding of visual sensory processing in both health and disease in the near…
News • Dementia prevention
‘Blue spot’ in the brain helps detecting Alzheimer’s early
A miniscule area in the brain, known as the locus coeruleus (LC), or blue spot, can help to identify an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease at a very early stage. The LC is hidden deep in the brainstem and can only be detected with advanced MRI equipment. Heidi Jacobs (Maastricht University/Harvard Medical School) used MRI scans to show that the tau protein can begin to spread in the LC three…
News • Additional costs that pay off
For women with dense breasts, MRIs are cost effective for detecting breast cancer
New research indicates that MRIs are cost effective for detecting breast cancer for women with very dense breasts detected by mammography. About 10% of women have extremely dense breasts, and current mammography screening guidelines do not recommend additional imaging tests unless there is a strong family history or genetic risk for breast cancer. Such women face two problems. They have increased…
Article • Pregnancy imaging
Machine learning predicts placenta health from MRI scans
Machine learning methods are being used to predict the health of the placenta from a 30-second MRI scan. Researchers hope the approach will offer an insight into the health of expectant mothers and unborn babies by detecting the early signs of dangerous conditions such as pre-eclampsia. Researchers from the School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences at King’s College London (KCL)…
News • After a heart attack
3D mapping of post-infarction scarring increases prognostic potential of cardiac MRI
A multidisciplinary team of scientists based at the Universidad de Valladolid and the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC) has developed a highly efficient method for identifying the 3-dimensional features of the scar tissue formed after a myocardial infarction. The study was carried out in partnership with scientists and clinicians at Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Hospital…
News • Imaging assistance
Deep learning method boosts MRI results without new data
When patients undergo an MRI, they are told to lie still because even the slightest movement compromises the quality of the images and can create blurred spots and speckles known as artifacts. Moreover, a long acquisition time is usually required to provide high-quality MRI images. A team of researchers from Washington University in St. Louis has found a new deep learning method that can minimize…
Article • Immersive imaging distraction
VR system to reduce MRI scan anxiety
Claustrophobia or anxiety can overwhelm small children and people with cognitive difficulties, especially in a confining and noisy MRI scanner tube. Their restless reactions can then render scan images useless. To help such patients to relax during scanning, a team from King’s College London (KCL) has designed an immersive environment with a special virtual reality (VR) headset for use with MRI…
News • Imaging staff back-up
A new remote scanning service to support MRI operation
Siemens Healthineers has recently started offering its customers WeScan, a new service that helps healthcare providers to perform MRI examinations if they lack qualified radiology staff. With the WeScan service, customers may seek access to a pool of skilled remote imaging technologists who help operate the MRI scanner using syngo Virtual Cockpit, the remote scanning software of Siemens…
News • VR app for children
Kids' fear of MRI: Let the penguins handle it
"You hear the noises, but they don't bother you at all": Since 2019, the “Pengunaut Trainer" has been preparing children for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations through role play. The app was developed under the leadership of the University Duisburg-Essen (UDE) and the Essen University Hospital (UK Essen).
Siemens Healthineers and Flywheel
Partnership for healthcare research collaboration
Medical data management company Flywheel announced a partnership and enterprise license agreement with Siemens Healthineers. Under the agreement, Flywheel will deliver a cloud-based research collaboration solution on the Siemens Healthineers teamplay digital health platform. Rolling out first in North America, the teamplay collaboration solution will enable Siemens Healthineers and its many…
News • CT, MRI, X-ray, AI, PACS, endoscopy, ultrasound
Fujifilm Healthcare acquires Hitachi Diagnostic Imaging, presents new portfolio
At a virtual European event, Fujifilm Healthcare Europe presented a complete and integrated portfolio of diagnostic products and services, including CT, MRI, X-ray, AI, PACS, endoscopy and ultrasound systems. This launch follows the completion of Fujifilm's acquisition and takeover of Hitachi's Diagnostic Imaging-related business on 31 March 2021 for 179 billion yen (€1.3 billion).
News • Trimodal approach
Combining 3 techniques to boost brain-imaging precision
Researchers report that they have developed a method to combine three brain-imaging techniques to more precisely capture the timing and location of brain responses to a stimulus. Their study is the first to combine the three widely used technologies for simultaneous imaging of brain activity. The work is reported in the journal Human Brain Mapping. The new "trimodal" approach combines…
News • Imaging
4D flow MRI scans to help patients with heart disease
A cutting-edge imaging technique that creates 4D flow images of the heart has been carried out for the first time in the UK at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (NNUH).
Article • Expanding potential
Low-field MRI: Less is more
Currently, two opposing trends can be observed in MRI: on the one hand 1.5T scanners are increasingly replaced by 3T scanners for standard clinical MRI applications. On the other hand scanners with lower and even significantly lower field strength have commercially available in the past two years. A session at this year’s European Congress of Radiology (ECR 2021) took a closer look at low-field…
Article • Imaging with benefits
Low-field MRI: good quality images, few artefacts and high patient comfort
Low-field MRI is the flavour of the season after several 1.5T models were launched. The major advantages of this technology are a relatively low purchasing price and operating costs and few artefacts while the image quality is comparable to a 1.5T scanner. Patient comfort is another benefit of low-field scanners. This advantage, however, tends to get short shrift despite the fact that it might…
News • Vital imaging
Study: contrast MRI after a heart attack could increase survival
A new study from the University of Surrey and University College London has revealed that treatment for heart attacks could be improved thanks to a novel method of evaluating heart function using contrast-based MRI scans. According to the British Heart Foundation, heart and circulatory diseases cause more than a quarter (27 per cent) of all deaths in the UK, which equates to more than 160,000…
News • Incidental findings identification
AI system for brain MRIs could boost workflows
An artificial intelligence (AI)-driven system that automatically combs through brain MRIs for abnormalities could speed care to those who need it most, according to a new study. “There are an increasing number of MRIs that are performed, not only in the hospital but also for outpatients, so there is a real need to improve radiology workflow,” said study co-lead author Romane Gauriau, PhD,…
News • Combining MRI with particle beams
An important step towards live imaging in proton therapy
Researchers at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) want to build the world’s first prototype that tracks moving tumors with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in real time during proton therapy. They are combining a rotating open MRI device, designed for the LINAC-MR system from Alberta Health Services, with an actively scanned clinical-akin proton beam at OncoRay, the Dresden-based…
Sponsored • How to deliver more and better care at lower costs
Moving the needle in MRI productivity
In an industry where every second and every click counts, workflow inefficiencies consume as much as a third of the MRI procedure time. This is a key area of focus where technology advances can radically change what is possible with an MRI exam. Given declining reimbursements, fewer skilled resources, and the system-wide burden of chronic diseases, maximizing productivity is a strategic…