Fotis Vlachos, PhD
Chief Marketing and Commercial Officer, Global MR
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GE HealthCare
London, UK
Each year more than 300 million MR examinations are performed globally. With a projected 6% annual growth in procedures, annual volumes will exceed 400 million in just five years. Demand for MR is expanding across geographies and demographics, with the clinical need for cardiac and whole-body imaging accelerating at a faster pace. We are observing expanding access to disease-modifying therapies for Alzheimer’s disease, breast cancer and other neurodegenerative conditions, with MR being used to monitor treatment response—further augmenting its demand.
Across the globe, variations in population health trends, healthcare delivery models and other factors create unique needs and considerations when purchasing imaging equipment. We recognize that regions with limited access to MR imaging require lower cost and flexible or mobile equipment to maximize patient access. Conversely, we see equally large challenges in regions with a higher degree of equipment access, where fast, efficient scanning is essential to serving as many patients as possible. Despite these unique circumstances, excellent image quality is a shared expectation.
At this year’s Annual Meeting of the Radiological Society of North America, we are pleased to share the latest in MR technology, including our new high-field helium-free magnet.‡ Thanks to years of purposeful innovation by our global team of engineers, scientists and designers, we are poised to deliver a new level of efficiency across the entire MR workflow. Our customers desire expanded clinical applications that meaningfully impact patient care pathways. Yet, MedTech also needs to balance environmental sustainability, affordability and upgradeability.
At GE HealthCare, we are proud of our legacy. We delivered the first commercial 1.5T MR system, SIGNA™ 1.5, in 1983. We surprised our customers with AIR™ Coils, the award-winning ultra-light coil technology, in 2017. We led the development of deep-learning-based MR image reconstruction with AIR™ Recon DL and cutting-edge acceleration with Sonic DL™.
While these were all groundbreaking achievements, we asked the hard questions regarding MR innovations. Have we enabled MR to detect disease earlier, provide better treatment outcomes or expand clinical indications so MR can be at the frontline of preventive care? Have we addressed all the issues facing MR departments today? Are we innovating MR technology with the patient at the center of everything we do?
For us, the answer was clear: We must deliver innovation with intention, not just invention, to truly improve patient and clinical outcomes.
We set out to introduce our Next Generation MR Platform by refocusing the innovation on life-changing outcomes. It begins with the core of an MR system—Freelium,‡ a helium-free magnet that doesn’t compromise quality, performance or longevity (HERE)—and continues with the foundation of an MR system—the gradient coil,‡ body coil,‡ cryogenics,‡ power subsystems‡ and sealed cabinets‡ (HERE).
The scan is only one part of the entire clinical workflow. Our team examined the rest of the workflow equation and developed solutions to streamline and simplify patient set-up and the technologist’s workflow—from a next-generation detachable patient table that auto docks to the scanner‡ (HERE), to a complete architectural change in our user interface‡ that simplifies each step in planning and prescribing the scan (HERE). As you read these articles, authored by our engineers and scientists, you will discover there is much more that we’ve deliberately designed so that MR can deliver better patient and clinicial outcomes.
We remain committed to providing the diagnostic accuracy and imaging advancements radiologists need to impact the standard of care and deliver life-changing outcomes. AIR Recon DL is extending to oZTEo,‡ our MR bone imaging solution (HERE), and phase correction in DWI§ (HERE). Our clinical education team guides customers on optimizing Sonic DL 3D (HERE) and tapping into new techniques for neuro imaging (HERE). Our scientists describe the exceptional performance of our head-only SIGNA™ MAGNUS‡‡ that will deliver new insights into the human brain (HERE).
This issue of SIGNA Pulse of MR lets you look under the hood and discover our purpose and mission to intentionally innovate the future of MR. These exciting technologies and products are the result of purposeful, thoughtful innovation from our team. These are our boldest ideas…yet.
Thank you for being part of our journey of innovation; let’s create a world where healthcare has no limits.
‡ Technology in development that represents ongoing research and development efforts. Not for sale. Not CE marked. Not cleared or approved by the U.S. FDA or any other global regulator for commercial availability.
‡‡ Not yet CE marked. Not available for sale in all regions.
§ 510(k) pending at US FDA. Not yet CE marked. Not available for sale.
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