Dear AuntMinnie Member,
Call it augmented radiology -- the use of advanced visualization technologies to help radiologists do their jobs. One of the pioneers in this area is Dr. Jesse Courtier of the University of California, San Francisco; he has developed an application that marries virtual reality with medical images to view anatomy in a way that's more realistic than what might be encountered with 2D imaging.
Dr. Courtier discusses his fascination with augmented radiology and offers his opinions on its growth potential in an article you can read by clicking here, or visit our Advanced Visualization Community at av.auntminnie.com.
Wasted time in the MRI suite
As anyone in radiology knows, MRI scanners are expensive pieces of equipment to own and operate. It's vital that they be kept running at peak efficiency whenever possible. But a new study indicates that up to one-third of the time spent administering an MRI scan is wasted.
Researchers from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston analyzed the workflow logistics of a series of MRI exams to identify inefficiencies. They found several tasks that contributed to wasted time -- find out what they are by clicking here.
FDA clears 7T MRI scanner
As we go to press, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced that it has cleared the first 7-tesla MRI scanner available for clinical use in the U.S. market. While the clinical applications for the system are limited, the powerful new scanner does offer the prospect of exciting new capabilities for MR imaging. Read more by clicking here, or visit our MRI Community at mri.auntminnie.com.
