Royal Philips has announced that three new MR-based neurology software applications for its Ingenia digital MR systems will be launched at the Radiological Society of North America annual meeting later this month.

"Today’s options could stand to be better," Eric Jean, general manager of MR at Philips, told HCB News. "Our new tools will help bring more definitive diagnosis for these complex indications, ultimately helping improve diagnostic confidence for neuro disorders such as vasculitis, neuropathy, arteriovenous malformation, or tumors."

According to the World Health Organization, there is ample evidence that pinpoints neurological disorders as one of the greatest threats to public health. As the elderly population grows, it's becoming more important to identify and treat these disorders.
"Alzheimer’s is still not very well understood and early diagnosis, accurate prognosis or assessment of disease progression remain very challenging," said Jean. "We believe MR will have a growing impact in the future in helping assess this disease by bringing a vast amount of functional information that was not accessible before."

MR imaging has become a standard in the field of neuroimaging because it provides important structural and physiological information on the brain. But a TMTG Market survey from this year found that 70 percent of physicians often face challenges with their existing neurodiagnostic tools.

The physicians stated that the current tools lack effective imaging and visualization techniques. The Ingenia MR systems leverage Philips' dStream digital broadband architecture technology to provide high-quality images at fast speeds.

The software applications include:

Black Blood Imaging provides the radiologists with high-resolution, 3-D brain images with less blood signal than a 3-D T1w scan without MSDE pre-pulse.

4-D-TRANCE produces contrast-free 4-D images of brain vascular anatomy. It allows the radiologist to evaluate both the vascular anatomy and blood flow dynamics.

MultiBand SENSE allows for the simultaneous acquisition of multiple slices in the brain during fMR exams. The radiologists can increase coverage or resolution without lengthening the scan time.

These software applications will also be integrated into the latest version of the Philips IntelliSpace Portal, which will also be launched at the RSNA meeting. Within the portal, radiologists get a comprehensive overview of the patient.

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