Could MRI coils mimicking 'second skin' be a tool in MRI efficacy, patient experience?
Numerous barriers in MRI, including the bulkiness of coils, can prevent radiologists from obtaining accurate and high-quality images of children during scans or obtaining images at all. Additionally, there is little comfort for children undergoing MRI when using coils meant for adults.
But a partnership between Ana Claudia Arias, PhD, and Michael Lustig, PhD, of the department of electrical engineering and computer science at the University of California, Berkeley, and Stanford pediatric radiologist Shreyas Vasanawala, MD, could bring a resolution to the coil problem, writes Usha Lee McFarling of STAT.
The group is currently testing lightweight plastic coils on patients at Stanford’s Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital. The coils, now part of a “blankie” used for child MRI scans, were developed as part of Arias’ low-cost printable electronics used to make medical devices. Once Arias saw the need for better coils for use by children, she partnered with Lustig, an expert at MRI signaling processing, who was also trying to solve the same problem.
To learn more about the technological development, click the link below.
As a senior news writer for TriMed, Subrata covers cardiology, clinical innovation and healthcare business. She has a master’s degree in communication management and 12 years of experience in journalism and public relations.