Radiation-free BoneMRI is now available for those to whom it matters most, our children, including solutions towards scan time reduction.

Utrecht, 13 October, 2023 — The latest version of BoneMRI receives CE clearance for distribution within the European Union. This new release greatly enhances BoneMRI with the expansion of the patient population to those to whom radiation-free imaging matters most: adolescents from 12 years and older. Moreover, this version includes Synthetic T1w imaging, targeting scan time reduction in lumbar spine MRI exams that include BoneMRI.

“I am very happy to learn that MRIguidance received clearance for the use of BoneMRI in children! This means that the young patient now can be spared a significant radiation dose, while the surgeon can obtain accurate information in 3D with one imaging modality that will reveal both soft tissues as well as cortical and cancellous bony detail, without worrying about ionising radiation. I can also see a great promise for navigation and robotic surgery!”, said Rene Castelein, MD, PhD & Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at UMC Utrecht, The Netherlands.

BoneMRI for Adolescents

BoneMRI for adolescents aged 12 years and older is available for the radiodensity visualisation of the cervical spine, lumbar spine, and pelvic region. This expansion benefits young patients by allowing visualisation of common conditions such as scoliosis, hip dysplasia and maturation signs such as the ossification centres and ring apophyses. All without exposing the patients to ionising radiation.

It is well known that with CT there is an increased risk of malignancy due to the carcinogenic radiation, which limits the suitability of CT for diagnostic imaging and treatment planning for patients. This especially limits the use of CT for adolescents and children as they are more sensitive to radiation-induced carcinogenesis and have a higher risk of cancer development. A number of publications support this:

 

Other publications:

From left to right: BoneMRI for scoliosis in 14 year old patient & BoneMRI for hip dysplasia in 15 year old patient

Synthetic T1w imaging

With the introduction of Synthetic T1w imaging (sT1w), radiology departments and patients can now benefit from reduced scanning times, potentially replacing the traditional T1w sequence with its synthetic counterpart when incorporating the BoneMRI sequence into the MRI exam. This approach not only streamlines the imaging process but also minimises patient discomfort.

Healthcare providers now have access to three distinct contrast types derived from a single source image: (1) the source 3D T1w image, (2) the synthetic T1w image, and (3) the BoneMRI image. This provides medical professionals with invaluable information of the bony anatomy, including increased T1w contrast, for diagnostics, treatment planning, and navigation.

Additionally, this new feature allows versatile viewing from any angle by multiplanar reformatting of the 3D synthetic T1w images. In short, sT1w features:

 

  • Automatic enhancement of the source 3D tomographic DICOM image, visualising the structures within the field of view of the MRI image with increased T1-weighted contrast (synthetic T1w images)

  • Generation of a high resolution 3D image

From left to right: Synthetic T1w image & BoneMRI source image

BoneMRI as a seamless scalable cloud solution

MRIguidance remains committed to pushing the boundaries of medical imaging, ensuring patients receive the best care possible while equipping healthcare providers with the tools they need. This latest version further reduces times for product upgrades, such as additional scanner support or improved reconstruction algorithms, without interrupting the day-to-day clinical use. With its scalable cloud infrastructure, it supports parallel reconstructions of large volumes of BoneMRI imaging studies, increasing capacity with respect to local infrastructure.