FDA clears new RadNet solution that allows techs to remotely control scanners
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has cleared a new solution from RadNet Inc., which allows off-site radiologic technologists to control scanners.
TechLive is a remote-scanning tool enabling centralized operation and supervision of MR, CT, PET/CT and ultrasound procedures. Los Angeles-based RadNet—which operates 400 outpatient imaging centers, in addition to its tech division, DeepHealth—said the solution aims to help others grappling with labor shortages and wage inflation.
Techs can use the vendor-agnostic product to scan across multiple locations, RadNet said, allowing radiology groups to extend operating hours while bolstering access to advanced imaging.
"TechLive represents a paradigm shift in how we approach imaging operations," Sham Sokka, PhD, a former Philips executive who joined RadNet in 2023 as chief operating and technology officer, said in a Aug. 7 announcement. "By enabling real-time remote expertise, we are not only addressing today's staffing challenges, we are creating a foundation for more efficient, financially sustainable, and high-quality patient care across the broadest set of imaging modalities.”
Over 300 of RadNet’s imaging systems are now connected to TechLive, “resulting in increased patient throughput and improved quality through remotely matching expert staff with complex modalities in real-time.” Sokka and colleagues noted that the system has become essential as imaging volumes continue to climb while the number of techs has “not grown proportionately.”
The company deployed TechLive via a pilot program across 64 of its imaging center locations in the New York area. It contributed to a 42% decrease in MRI room closure hours in the second quarter of 2025 when compared to the same three months last year. This led to more patients receiving scans in a shorter time while also contributing to an increase in the number of complex procedures. With ultrasound experts in short supply, the technology has helped senior sonographers and physicians to remotely guide other techs on-site through complex cases in a modality that is “heavily dependent upon real-time, operator expertise,” RadNet said.
The FDA 510(k) comes amid growing remote-scanning interest in the specialty. In July, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced it will allow remote supervision of certain exams permanently, after this temporary perk was set to expire on Dec. 31. However, both the American College of Radiology and American Society of Radiologic Technologists recently said they do not recommend leaving techs alone on-site to deliver exams. Earlier this week, a Montana rural hospital touted efforts to expand imaging options using remotely based techs elsewhere and a similar solution from GE HealthCare.
RadNet made the announcement ahead of its second quarter earnings call, planned for Monday, Aug. 11.
Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic.