RSNA 2016: Philips to Debut Advanced Software Applications to Evaluate Neurological Disorders

Royal Philips will introduce a new suite of magnetic resonance (MR)-based software applications at the upcoming Radiological Society of North America’s 102nd Scientific Meeting and Annual Assembly (RSNA 2016; #RSNA16) Nov. 27 to Dec. 2 in Chicago.

Philips’ Ingenia family of digital MRI systems provides radiologists with a unique set of tools to explore new territories in neurological disorders, including multiple sclerosis (MS), Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and traumatic brain injury.

Advanced diagnostics like MRIs are critical in the treatment protocol of neurological diseases. MRIs, for example, are a great way to look at soft tissue, and doctors can retrieve a great deal of structural and physiological information of the brain from these scans. Because of this, MRIs have become a standard tool in neuroimaging, and 65 percent of neurologists prefer MR-based technology over other alternatives.

The new Philips portfolio of products uses the company’s dStream digital broadband architecture technology, which digitizes the signal right in the coil, eliminating noise influences to capture the MR signal without pre-distortion or compression.

The portfolio includes black blood imaging (a technology that provides high-resolution 3D brain images with reduction of the blood signal); 4D-TRANCE (a noncontrast technique that provides contrast-free dynamic imaging of the brain vascular anatomy); and MultiBand SENSE (a product allowing simultaneous acquisition of multiple slices in the brain for high-resolution, high-speed scans).

The new products will be integrated into the latest version of Philips’ IntelliSpace Portal, which will also be unveiled at RSNA 2016. The newest version of the portal is designed to place an additional focus on enhanced depth of clinical analyses in patients with neurological conditions of different complexity levels.

“In a society where neurological disorders impact a large population, continued innovation is critical in improving diagnostic clarity and treatment guidance for all neurological patients,” Eric Jean, Philips’ general manager of MRI, said in a press release.

“Our new suite of decision support solutions will empower radiologists with actionable insights to make fast diagnoses to help improve the patient experience and health outcomes overall, while at the same time reducing cost,” he said.