Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the gold standard imaging modality for soft tissues. It produces detail cross-sectional images of soft tissue and bone anatomy, including muscles, tendons, ligaments, brain and organs, without the use of ionizing radiation. In addition to orthopedic imaging, MRI is also used for heart, brain and breast. MRI uses gadolinium contrast in many exams to highlight tissues and blood vessels, which enhances images and offers better diagnostic quality. It can also be used in conjunction with PET scans. How does MRI work? MR creates images by using powerful magnets to polarize hydrogen atoms in water (the body is made of of more than 80% water) so they face in one direction. A radiofrequency pulse is then used to ping these atoms, causing them to wobble, or resonate. The MRI coils detect this and computers can assemble images from the signals. Basic MRI scans will focus on the resonance of fat and water in two different sequences, which highlight and contrast different features in the anatomy.

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MRI projectile incident likely to result in a 'seven-figure sum' repair bill for hospital

News of an incident is a stark reminder that healthcare workers and patients aren’t the only ones who need to be aware around MRI suites.

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Radiology groups spar over certificate-of-need application for $1.7M new MRI scanner

Diagnostic Imaging of Southbury recently asked for permission to buy a second MR system, with its first currently operating at 120% capacity. 

icometrix MRI brain alzheimer's

American College of Radiology partners with AI developer, seeking to improve Alzheimer’s diagnoses

ACR is teaming with Belgium-based Icometrix, which is providing its brain MRI software to facilities participating in the Alzheimer’s Network for Treatment and Diagnostics. 

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Radiology AI firm Gleamer expands into MRI with 2 acquisitions

The French company offers solutions across X-ray, mammography and CT, adding MRI to its portfolio by buying Pixyl and Caerus Medical. 

Aclarion, a company using remote MRIs to assess back pain, expands in partnership with RadNet

The publicly traded Broomfield, Colorado, firm plans to bolster access to its Nociscan product across key markets in New York and New Jersey. 

David A. Rosman, MD, MBA, deputy chief, radiology enterprise service, Mass General Brigham, explains details of a recent AJR article that showed imaging outside of hospitals could potentially save billions.

Shift toward imaging outside the hospital could save billions

Harvard’s David A. Rosman, MD, MBA, explains how moving imaging outside of hospitals could save billions of dollars for U.S. healthcare.

PHOTO GALLERY: thyroid nodule imaging

This is a collection of radiology imaging showing various presentations of thyroid nodules.

Biograph whole-body MRI

Biograph, a new whole-body MRI startup, launches with $7,500 membership fee

The company has already opened its first location in San Mateo, California, with another to follow in New York City, collecting over 1,000 datapoints from 30-plus exams.  

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News of an incident is a stark reminder that healthcare workers and patients aren’t the only ones who need to be aware around MRI suites.

The ACR hopes these changes, including the addition of diagnostic performance feedback, will help reduce the number of patients with incidental nodules lost to follow-up each year.

And it can do so with almost 100% accuracy as a first reader, according to a new large-scale analysis.