|
Toll of Repeat MRI, Thoracic CT, and Portable MRI for Brain Health
September 24, 2026
|
|
|
|
|
Together with
|
|
|
|
“Whether AI fulfills its promise in radiology will ultimately be decided not in the laboratory but in the reading room, shaped by cognitive psychology, UI/UX design, and algorithmic conformity – factors that remain poorly understood.”
|
|
Kim SH et al, in an article on human-AI collaboration in Radiology: Artificial Intelligence.
|
|
|
Thoracic and abdominal CT imaging is a big focus of this issue, as we’re featuring new research showing the modality’s value ranging from lung cancer screening to appendicitis assessment. It’s even starting to carve out a role for investigating lung function, as you’ll discover in this contribution from 4DMedical. – Brian Casey, Managing Editor
|
|
|
|
Nobody likes having to repeat a task, and nowhere is that more evident than in MRI. A new study in JACR quantifies the operational toll of MRI scans that have to be repeated due to patient motion, revealing both good news and bad news.
Despite its unquestioned diagnostic power, MRI is the imaging modality most susceptible to motion artifacts.
- That’s because patients have to lie motionless for long periods of time in a confined, noisy metal tube – an environment tailor-made to induce claustrophobia.
MRI vendors have introduced a variety of new technologies and pulse sequences to speed up exams, but patient motion is still a nagging problem.
- To investigate the issue further, researchers from NYU Grossman School of Medicine collaborated with Siemens Healthineers to document MRI exam repeat rates over six months at NYU.
In all, 85.3k MRI exams were included in the analysis, with the following findings…
- 4.8% of all MRI exams (4k) included at least one repeated sequence.
- The highest repeat rate occurred in pediatrics and the lowest in breast MRI (9.9% and 3.5%, respectively).
- Repeat acquisitions added up to 115 hours of scanner time, equivalent to 268 lost MRI scanning slots.
To take the study deeper, researchers more closely analyzed brain MRI and MR cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) studies, finding…
- For 77 patients undergoing brain MRI, repeat acquisitions had better image quality and diagnostic confidence, but 20% of repeat sequences did not improve.
- For 27 patients undergoing MRCP, repeat acquisitions were less successful, as they didn’t improve image quality or diagnostic confidence.
So that’s the bad news. What’s the good news? The study’s 4.8% repeat rate was actually lower than those reported in previous research into motion-related repeats, which have ranged from 7.5% to 30%.
- One reason for the discrepancy is that the current study relied on exams labeled as repeats by technologists, which could have resulted in an underestimation.
But another reason is the fact that MRI practices have adopted a wide range of techniques and technologies that reduce the impact of patient motion, like shorter protocols, parallel imaging, compressed sensing, and deep learning reconstruction.
The Takeaway
The new findings into the operational toll of MRI motion artifacts provide useful insights into the extent of the problem. But they also include a silver lining – that the modality’s relentless pace of technological innovation could make repeat exams less of an issue in the future.
|
|
Many VNAs Are Just Bigger PACS Archives
Vendor neutral is a claim, not a checkbox. This guide separates true neutrality from an expanded PACS archive, shows where enterprise imaging savings actually come from, and names five strategic moves the approach unlocks. Read the enterprise imaging guide.
|
|
Is the “Safe Choice” Actually Safe?
Familiar doesn’t always mean lower risk. Hear how radiology leaders are evaluating reporting platforms beyond the feature list. Register for the webinar.
|
|
- Vote of Confidence in CT Lung Screening: As CT lung cancer screening broadens its reach, the exam earned support this week from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). Writing in an article in NEJM, an IARC working group reviewed the published research on CT lung screening, concluding that the evidence supports its ability to reduce lung cancer mortality and that screening is cost-effective. The IARC said the evidence behind AI and molecular biomarkers “is still uncertain” and requires further study.
- New Tools for Assessing Lung Function: Regional lung function is emerging as an important factor in thoracic imaging. Chest CT is central to evaluating lung disease, but anatomy alone doesn’t always explain the full clinical challenge. Fortunately, a new generation of CT-based software tools brings regional lung function into the workflow radiologists use every day – chest CT. Learn how to leverage these new tools in your practice in this contribution from 4DMedical.
- Long-Term Data Support CT Lung Screening: Meanwhile, Italian researchers published long-term data in Lung Cancer from the BioMILD study of CT lung cancer screening. In all, 4.1k at-risk people with smoking histories were screened, and at a median follow-up of 9.4 years, 6% were diagnosed with lung cancer. Cancer incidence was much greater in a higher-risk group that was screened more often compared to a lower-risk group screened every three years (22% vs. 3%), but enough cancers occurred in the lower-risk group to justify screening them.
- Rapid CT Access for Appendicitis: Rapid access to CT for diagnosing suspected appendicitis is key to better clinical outcomes. Writing in The Lancet Global Health, researchers analyzed 45k patients from 112 countries, finding that CT access rates varied widely by country (from 59% to 5.6%). Patients waiting longer to be assessed by a surgeon had higher appendix perforation rates (from 23% for 12 hours to 48% for over 72 hours). Surgical assessment within 24 hours – and better access to CT – should be a global target.
- Aidoc Chest AI Named Breakthrough: Aidoc received FDA Breakthrough Device Designation for a new AI algorithm built on its CARE AI foundation model. The company is developing CARE Chest X-Ray Triage to detect a wide range of findings on chest radiographs, and the new Breakthrough Designation applies to two of these, triage and prioritization of pneumomediastinum as well as lung collapse. CARE Chest X-Ray Triage is pending 510(k) clearance. This is the third Breakthrough Designation Aidoc has received in the past year.
- Portable MRI for Brain Health: Portable ultralow-field MRI could be a useful tool for assessing brain health in community settings. That’s according to a new paper in JAMA Neurology in which U.S. researchers used Hyperfine’s 0.064T Swoop scanner for scanning 1.2k people in two studies, one at a clinic and the other with a mobile trailer. Ultralow-field MRI provided clinically relevant neuroimaging data in both settings and agreed with conventional MRI for aspects like correlating brain structure with cognitive status.
- ASRT Criticizes NRC Changes: The ASRT has some big concerns with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s proposed rule changes on workplace radiation exposure. The ASRT warns that replacing the ALARA dose-management framework without an evidence-based alternative will cause huge risks for radiology professionals. While the proposed ALARA removal focuses mainly on the nuclear power industry, ASRT argues that delineation isn’t clear enough. Speaking of clearer delineation, ASRT also urged the NRC to remove proposed language that would enable non-physician providers to prescribe drugs.
- New Five-Point Scale for Tau PET: PET scans for tau buildup in the brain are important tools for detecting pathologies like Alzheimer’s disease, especially given recent FDA approvals of new radiopharmaceuticals. But existing interpretation schemes rely on a binary “yes or no” rubric that’s not very precise. Instead, researchers in JAMA Neurology proposed a five-point visual scale that enables more subtle classifications of tau accumulation and tested it in 822 patients. The scale showed good agreement across different readers and PET tracers.
- Program Promotes Plug-and-Play PET: Developing and producing PET radiopharmaceuticals is a complicated process, but USC and UCLA researchers are developing what could be an easier path with what they’re calling a “plug-and-play” platform. They are leveraging a $2.6M NIH grant to combine click chemistry and droplet radiochemistry to enable scientists to quickly join molecules together. By combining these functions on a single chip, researchers hope to create a miniaturized platform that can produce PET radiotracers quickly without the need for large-scale equipment and facilities.
- ViewRay to Exhibit at ASTRO 2026: When radiation therapy vendor ViewRay collapsed in a Chapter 7 liquidation filing in 2023, it disappointed many fans of the company’s MR-guided linear accelerator technology. Fortunately for them, the firm has been resurrected as ViewRay Systems and plans to exhibit at the upcoming ASTRO 2026 meeting, September 26-30. ViewRay markets MRIdian A3i, an MR-guided radiation therapy system that fits in a standard linac vault.
- Siemens, Elekta to Collaborate: In other news on the eve of ASTRO 2026, radiation therapy vendor Elekta announced it signed a letter of intent with Siemens Healthineers to improve interoperability between their oncology platforms. It’s an interesting announcement, as Siemens owns Varian, Elekta’s main competitor — one industry observer compared it to putting the USB C port on an iPhone. Elekta promised that more details would be forthcoming.
- GE Expands AI Alliance with MGB: GE HealthCare is expanding its ongoing research collaboration with Mass General Brigham to include development of a new generative AI-based solution for combining structured clinical data and unstructured information to better guide radiation therapy. The partners hope to simplify radiation therapy planning, which can be cumbersome with multiple manual steps, by building a generative AI tool that can be integrated into GE’s Intelligent Radiation Therapy (iRT) radiation oncology workflow suite.
- a2z Banks Clearance: a2z Radiology AI got a second FDA clearance for its abdomen-pelvis CT suite this week, more than doubling the number of high-risk findings the AI-enabled system can detect. a2z-Abdo-Triage’s clearance for findings including ureteral stones, acute appendicitis, and splenic/hepatic/renal traumatic injuries was sped up thanks to the software’s receipt of the FDA’s Breakthrough Device Designation. The solution aids radiologists by analyzing scans with or without contrast and flagging suspected positive results for clinicians to prioritize.
- UltraSight Raises $24M: Echocardiography AI firm UltraSight raised $24M in a Series B2 round to expand commercialization of its Echosystem echo guidance platform in the U.S. The company also will also use the funds to develop new workflows to aid clinicians in intensive care units and circulatory support. Echosystem is deployed at 10 commercial sites, and the company is touting a recent JAMA Cardiology paper in which the echo AI solution helped novice users detect aortic valve stenosis on handheld focused cardiac ultrasound screening exams.
- AI Firm Incepto Raises $16M: France-based AI platform company Incepto Medical raised $16M, which the company said it will use to scale up its TANGO generative AI reporting assistant in Europe and the U.S. In addition, Incepto will improve its AI monitoring and post-market surveillance capabilities and expand the number of AI applications on its platform. It also said it would pursue “targeted strategic acquisitions.”
|
|
One Viewer for All
Achieve ultrafast image interpretation with greater efficiency and precision with Visage 7 from Visage Imaging. Visage’s one-viewer philosophy enables all end users – from radiologists to clinicians – to access powerful tools based on clinical need.
|
|
Unlock Next-Level Diagnostic Possibilities
Photonova Spectra from GE HealthCare is designed to realize the full potential of photon-counting CT in oncology, cardiology, neurology, and more. Learn more about the difference its Deep Silicon technology makes on this page.
|
|
Data that’s Correct, Complete, and Consistent
ENDEX from Enlitic standardizes your DICOM imaging data with AI precision, so every study is labeled right and ready to use. Learn how it can benefit your radiology practice today.
|
|
- AI Detects Pulmonary Hypertension from a Single Echo Clip: Pulmonary hypertension carries a diagnostic delay of years due to symptoms that can overlap with common heart and lung diseases. But AI from Us2.ai can detect the condition from a single echocardiography clip, substantially exceeding current clinical benchmarks.
- Imaging Tools for Heroes: Radiology departments are currently pushed to their limits by interconnected challenges. Staff shortages and heavy workloads form a vicious circle. Different measures are needed to address these challenges. Intelligent imaging from Siemens Healthineers can be one of them.
- A New Solution for Radiology Reporting: Sectra Reporting delivers a fully built-in, AI-enhanced reporting experience that seamlessly connects PACS imaging data and measurements through intuitive templates. Discover how it can meet your needs today.
- How AI is Unlocking Opportunistic Screening: Routine imaging already contains preventive health information patients often never receive, and AI is making it possible to surface that data. Learn how CARPL can help you implement opportunistic screening on this page.
- The Future of Radiology Is Operational Transformation: In this webinar at 12 pm ET on Tuesday, September 29, discover how leading radiology groups are increasing throughput, reducing report turnaround times, improving workload equity, and helping attract and retain radiologists through a new approach to enterprise radiology operations.
- End-to-End Imaging Interoperability: Basic image exchange is increasingly table stakes. The harder work happens around it: finding relevant priors, bringing in outside imaging, reconciling patient identity, and much more. In this live demo, see how Medicom manages those workflows end-to-end through one interoperability platform.
- A New Resource for Radiology Jobs: Check out the new Job Boards from Medality to gain access to newly posted positions for radiologists, residents, and fellows. If you’re an employer, post your first job for free to reach Medality’s network of over 40,000 monthly users.
- Advancing Enterprise Imaging With IntelePACS: Watch this on-demand webinar to learn how IntelePACS from Intelerad helps radiology groups, hospitals, and health systems simplify imaging workflows through a scalable, enterprise-ready platform.
- A Paradigm Shift in Imaging Information: Have you ever wanted instant access in the palm of your hand to real clinical cases, innovative MR technologies, and quality customer support to guide you in finding the right MR solution? Check out the Philips MR Imaging App today.
- How QITA Improved Radiologist Productivity: Quantum Imaging & Therapeutic Associates (QITA) faced inefficiencies in their reporting processes, manually transposing ultrasound and DEXA measurements into reports. Find out how they turned to Altamont Software’s DICOM Structured Report integration to improve radiologist productivity.
- How AI Powers Lung Cancer Screening: Discover how DeepHealth’s AI and workflow applications are helping radiologists report findings efficiently and with consistency in the U.K. national lung cancer screening program, finding cancers earlier at more treatable stages.
- Making a Difference For Pediatric Patients and Families: A new study published by Stanford Children’s and Duke examined over a year and a half of patient feedback following the implementation of patient-friendly radiology reports from Scanslated. Learn about the positive impact Scanslated can create for your patients today.
- CAC Reimbursement for Routine Chest CT: The new Medicare code G0680 brings reimbursement for coronary artery calcium (CAC), enabling health systems to transform routine imaging into a proactive cardiovascular screening tool. Use Riverain’s customizable ROI calculator to demonstrate its potential financial impact on your operations.
- Why HealthPartners Has Relied On Merge for 20 Years: Over two decades, Health Partners has never wavered from Merge as their imaging solutions provider. Read this article to learn how their relationship transcends the typical vendor-client dynamic.
- Digital Radiography Designed for Freedom: United Imaging’s new uDR Aurora CX digital radiography system was designed to give you unprecedented freedom in imaging patients thanks to its new advances in computer vision, automation, and AI diagnostics.
- Connected Imaging. Empowered Flow: Know those rare and indescribable moments at work when distractions melt away? AGFA HealthCare’s Enterprise Imaging Platform is designed to keep you in that hyper-focused state of mind all day long. Learn more about their solutions today.
- KailoFlow Replaces the Patchwork: KailoFlow from Kailo Medical gives you one platform from digital patient intake to final structured report, with automated measurement transfer, built-in TI-RADS and BI-RADS calculations, and pre-drafted reporting across any device, any site.
- End-to-End Prostate Workflow Management: Find out how Quibim’s QP-Prostate provides a comprehensive, end-to-end management workflow for prostate cancer care, supporting clinicians from the earliest stages of image acquisition through diagnosis, patient management, and follow-up.
|
|
|
|
|
