Marconi Medical Systems and Dutch medical image analysis firm Medis Medical Imaging Systems have announced a joint effort to provide integrated software for the processing and quantifying of cardiac MR images.
Medis has been developing MR analysis packages for seven years, and has received Food and Drug Administration 510(k) clearance for its MRI-Mass software package, according to Cleveland-based Marconi. With the new software, patients are scanned with Marconi’s Eclipse or Infinion MR scanners to obtain multiple slice images at representative points throughout the heartbeat cycle, according to Marconi. Then a scanner operator launches Medis’ MRI-Mass analysis software either at the scanner console or a dedicated workstation.
The analysis software performs automated or user-guided edge detection of endocardial or epicardial surfaces. The resulting wall contours are then used to calculate key dynamic heart parameters, including myocardial mass and volume, ejection fraction, and stroke volume. Regional wall thickness, thickness/thinning, and wall motion are also calculated, according to Marconi.
At that point, specialized display software provides 3-D display of ventricular surfaces, color-coded to represent wall motion or thickness. Multiple report formats are provided for online review or optional hardcopy output, according to the firm.
By AuntMinnie.com staff writersJanuary 25, 2001
Related Reading
Norland, Marconi sign distribution agreement, January 15, 2001
Marconi nets CT and MR contract, January 12, 2001
MRI vendors chase goal of high-field open scanning, November 16, 2000
Copyright © 2001AuntMinnie.com
