Canon scores FDA clearance for artificial intelligence engine that bolsters MRI quality

Canon Medical Systems USA has earned 510(K) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for a deep learning tool that helps sharpen MR image quality.

Following the approval, the Advanced Intelligent Clear-IQ Engine can now be paired with the company’s 3T magnetic resonance system, officials announced Wednesday. It harnesses deep learning to help radiologists differentiate true MR signals from noise, suppressing the latter to provide “clear and distinct images.”

The Tustin, California-based company said experts trained the engine using “vast amounts” of imaging data. It was also previously made available across most of Canon’s portfolio of CT machines. Officials claimed this is the “world’s first” fully integrated deep learning reconstruction tool in MRI, built directly into scan protocols.  

Marty Stempniak

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. 

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