Cook Medical hopes new iMRI division could be ‘game changer’ for interventional radiology
Vendor Cook Medical hopes a newly launched iMRI division could be a “game changer” for interventional radiology.
The Bloomington, Indiana-based company first announced the new portfolio in late July. Unlike conventional tools repurposed for magnetic resonance imaging use, Cook Medical said it is now developing minimally invasive products purposely engineered to meet the “unique demands of interventional MRI environments.”
It believes this approach could be “especially critical” in pediatrics, oncology and pediatric structural heart inventions, specialties where precision and safety are of “paramount importance.” Current interventional approaches using X-ray and ultrasound are effective, but come with limitations, Indiana University radiologist Christopher Sinsabaugh, MD, tells The Herald-Times in a piece published Aug. 12.
“In some respects, interventional MRI gives us a new way to look at certain diseases in order to be able to target them appropriately,” he said.
Currently, the iMRI division has fewer than 30 employees. But new VP Peter Polverini, MBA, believes it could have a “huge impact” for both the state of Indiana and IR specialty. He gave the example of physicians facing issues trying to biopsy liver tissue in cases where lesions are too small to see with conventional imaging. IMRI has the potential to identify these more minute details, allowing for earlier diagnosis and treatment while improving outcomes.
The newspaper noted that iMRI is becoming increasingly feasible because of factors such as advanced computer programming, better MRI machines that require less magnetization, and new needles Cook Medical is developing to aid in this space. However, the field still faces challenges such as a shortage of MRI techs and the high cost of building necessary MRI suites. The vendor has partnered with Indiana University to work on addressing this provider shortage locally. Polverini also highlighted iMRI’s added benefit of reducing radiation exposure during IR procedures. “We know this could be a game change for patients,” he said.
“The tools that we need to do the things that we're talking about don't exist right now, so Cook standing up this organization to start to make those tools is…a great first step in trying to…remove some of those impediments to the widespread adoption,” Sinsabaugh added.
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.