Tag: radiology

What is a Smart Hospital?

Today’s smart hospital is not just a paperless organization with digitized charting. Although being digitized is an excellent start to a smart hospital, the process is much more advanced.

The goal of a smart hospital is better patient care while streamlining operational efficiency and costs. Three essential layers need to be addressed by a hospital to achieve the classification of a “smart” facility.

Step 1–Operations

Even though all hospitals gather information about their patients, operations, and management, a smart hospital takes gathering data to a different level.

In a smart hospital, analytic systems and software integrate all the information utilized by doctors, nurses, facility personnel, and administrators. A desktop, smartphone, or handheld device can access this information, resulting in faster, more efficient decision-making by key people.

With automated systems, the management of staff, pharmaceuticals, supplies, consumables inventory, assets, equipment, patients, and even visitors is controllable by the appropriate hospital teams. The process is cost-saving and efficient for the hospital and the patient.

To achieve these network-based services, hospitals with a large traffic volume and frequent environmental changes best utilize 5G or Wi-Fi 6 technology which is a step up for most hospital internet access.

Step 2–Clinical Tasks

The doctors’ and nurses’ efficiency depends on communication with departments like critical care, surgical, and technical (lab and X-ray) services.

A smart hospital improves patient outcomes by utilizing remote monitoring tools. Medical professionals can immediately monitor a patient’s vital signs, steps, heart rates, allergies, and lab results. The added communication also allows more patient input about likes, dislikes, and comfort zones. Smart hospitals will also utilize teleradiology services like Vesta in order to process more imaging interpretations remotely and efficiently.

 

INSIDE CANADA’S FIRST SMART HOSPITAL

Step 3-Patient Care

A patient’s room is very different within a smart hospital. A patient can access help through voice-based interactive devices to dim the lights, call a nurse, request pain medication, or make phone calls to loved ones—no more worries about a dropped call button on the floor.

The smart hospital design focuses on enhancing the healing process for faster recoveries by featuring open spaces and gardens. Children can also have specially designed areas for their comfort.

Caring robots in hospitals are providing added support in the facilities. Smart hospitals have programmed robots to perform surgeries; provide dementia care for the elderly; provide biofeedback for patient anxiety; transport supplies, blood, medication, meals, and garbage.

automation
Robots are reshaping hospitals

Hospitals have also programmed robots to provide care in quarantine isolation booths or entertain hospitalized children for a more positive emotional experience.

The Future

The future of smart hospital strategies is endless. The hospital environment and opportunities will continue to expand for the cost and convenience benefits of the hospital operations and its patients. The hospital will be able to extend most of the “smart” gifts to the patient’s home.

Patients will be able to take home smartwatches and other monitoring equipment for continued hospital care. More utilization of mobile monitoring equipment will allow the hospital to operate as intended–for emergencies, surgeries, and intensive care units–and will enable the patient to recover safely in the comfort of their home. And even more exciting is the future use of Artificial Intelligence to further enhance the benefits of the smart hospital.

 

The Benefits of Teleradiology for Hospitals

The many benefits of teleradiology have become increasingly important to urban and rural hospitals. Not only has the service greatly improved patient care, but it has also been a tremendous cost-saving for hospitals.

Teleradiology transmits X-rays and other diagnostic images from one location to another. The transmission allows medical information to be interpreted or consulted by specialists in the medical field practically anywhere in the world.

hospital radiology
An x-ray of a head

 

Many medical specialists reside and practice in large cities where the need for their services is in the highest demand. Also, hospitals and research centers in larger populated areas provide more financial support for radiologists’ services and resources, which can increase their productivity and field of study.

Better Patient Care

Teleradiology has torn down social, economic, age-related, and physical barriers to a patient’s ability to receive the best diagnostic care in the shortest possible time. Hospitals near and far have been able to do this by supporting their patients in implementing teleradiology services.

A patient does not need to travel great distances at enormous expense for expert diagnostic opinions any longer. Plus, delayed diagnoses can be critical to a patient’s health and well-being. With teleradiological services, a patient can receive an expert opinion within a short period from their location.

Teleradiology has enhanced a hospital’s emergency care by accessing a cooperating radiologist’s 24-hour/7 days per week availability. Before the technology was available, emergency room staff would need to wake up radiologists at home and request their presence in the hospital. Then the report may not be available for several days.

ambulance
Teleradiology can greatly enhance emergency care services

Patients can obtain a second opinion for their diagnosis much easier now with teleradiology. A hospital can send records anywhere worldwide at a patient’s request.

It also does not matter the hospital’s social or economic environmental location because all hospitals with the internet have access to highly valued diagnosticians.

Cost Benefits of Teleradiology

One of the most obvious cost benefits of teleradiology services for a hospital is the reduction–and sometimes the elimination–of radiologists. Hospitals can use allotted financial budgets for hands-on patient care.

With the cost savings of reduced staff, the hospital can also invest more money into the equipment for MRIs, CT scans, ultrasound, and digital X-ray equipment. More quality equipment can enhance the teleradiology process with better diagnostic tools for radiologists.

When hospitals access teleradiology services, the services charge by the radiological exam. Each consult with a radiologist is a case-by-case situation–much less expensive than having a full-time employed radiologist.

Other Benefits to the Hospitals

All hospitals rely on medical professionals collaborating to provide the best diagnoses for their patients. With teleradiology, distance for this collaboration is not a factor. Specialists can affect patient care by providing input to local hospital staff for diagnosis and care planning.

For a hospital’s staff, collaboration becomes education. The learning possibilities for teleradiology are endless, and the hospital team is learning from the best to become the best.

Hospitals have benefited from teleradiology tremendously over the past few years. The technology for this service is advancing rapidly and will continue to change the business of patient care for hospitals worldwide.

hospitals

Radiology Services for Hospitals from Vesta

No matter your facility’s size or location, Vesta offers comprehensive teleradiology services to hospitals. Look to us for efficiency, accuracy and competitive pricing. Please reach out to us to learn more about how we integrate with your current workflow.

 

How is Technology Helping with the Healthcare Labor Shortage?

The COVID-19 pandemic may seem never ending. While the exposure and infection numbers may be shrinking, the long-lasting effects of this illness are revealing themselves. One of the biggest and most concerning shortages is the labor shortage.

Of course, labor shortage can be vague. What industries are seeing these shortages, and how do those shortages affect customers? Many industries are seeing labor shortages, but one of the most concerning is the healthcare labor shortage.

staffing and labor shortage
Burnout has led many to quit their healthcare jobs

The Healthcare Labor Shortage

The COVID-19 pandemic proved to be tough on several fronts, especially for the first responders providing care and assistance to those suffering. Doctors and nurses were on the front lines treating patients, finding answers, and working long hours. Many healthcare workers were forced out for different physical and mental reasons like burnout. The pressures were so great that nearly 1.5 million healthcare workers left the profession in the first two months of the pandemic.

As the pandemic continues to wane, healthcare workers are returning to hospitals and doctors’ offices. The return is great, but the numbers are still down, and jobs are still left vacant. In fact, healthcare employment has still not returned to pre-pandemic numbers. Even in those who have returned, anecdotal evidence suggests many are thinking of leaving soon. This means sick people, some of the most vulnerable in society, will feel the consequences. 

Technology and the Healthcare Labor shortage

How do healthcare providers keep their invaluable workers and staff? How do they combat the pressures and stressors created and highlighted by the worldwide pandemic? The short answer is technology.

Healthcare providers can automate different tasks to allow healthcare providers – doctors and nurses – the freedom and space to care for patients. The best news is we live in the age of technology. There are dozens of different technological applications that can be used in these areas.

Inbound Calls

Hospitals and doctors’ offices are often overloaded by inbound calls, even when they are fully staffed. When these providers are understaffed, however, it can be time-consuming to field these ceaseless inbound calls. Patients can and should be encouraged to schedule their own appointments through web-based applications and portals. Not only will this open up more time and space for healthcare providers, but these tasks help empower patients to be more involved in their healthcare journey.

 

staffing in healthcare
Technology allows patients to book their appointments online

 Intake Process

The amount of paperwork in the healthcare industry is daunting. Technology, however, can limit the paperwork and streamline the intake process altogether. Mobile check-in and registration can make it easier for patients to check in, but it also limits the person-to-person contact that so easily spreads diseases.

 Access and Availability

Perhaps the best advantage of medicine is the access and availability afforded through telemedicine. Telemedicine isn’t necessarily “new,” but it has been brought to the forefront. Telemedicine is the ability to meet with medical professionals and healthcare workers to get information and establish treatment plans.

It’s especially beneficial when it comes to specialized medicine, like radiology. Teleradiology, the term widely used for this specific section, is a much more recent development. It helps patients get information and necessary access to radiology professionals.

Teleradiology allows a radiologist to get, review, and interpret CT or MRI images. Radiologists are able to communicate important information to patients who are desperate for that information. It means fewer radiologists can meet with more patients and get those patients the information and treatment they need.

Virtual Monitoring Systems

Telesitter programs help reduce the workload and potential burnout for nurses. With these systems, cameras are setup so that virtual monitoring can take place and track patient activity. Any time there are concerns or emergencies, staff would be notified.

telemonitoring
Telesitters offer virtual monitoring

The world is changing. It’s the one true constant. But technology offers us the chance to adapt and modify the ways we move about in the world. Technology can make things easier and fill in the gaps that form.

What to Expect During a Breast Cancer Screening at an Imaging Center

The best way to detect breast cancer in its early stages is by mammograms–merely an X-ray of the breast. There is no financial strain because health insurance plans are required to cover the costs of mammograms every one or two years.

When you reach your forties, you should begin conversing with your medical providers about when to start and how often you should get a mammogram.

breast cancer awareness
Take care to get your screenings

 

Specialists usually recommend the procedure for women between 50 to 74 years of age at average risk of breast cancer and performed every one or two years depending on the woman’s risk factors.

How to Prepare for a Mammogram

When your healthcare provider suggests scheduling a mammogram for the first time, there are some considerations.

If possible, you should consider making your appointments at a nearby facility that specializes in mammograms. In doing this, you can have technicians who are very familiar with the process and accurately compare your mammograms yearly.

mammogram technology
Mammogram screening

If you need to change facilities, it’s best to arrange to have all your records sent to the new clinic for X-ray comparison. It is also an excellent idea to bring all the dates and locations of any previous breast procedures done.

Specialists advise that women avoid making mammogram appointments the week before their periods. Breasts are more swollen and sensitive during this time which can cause the mammogram procedure to be uncomfortable for them and may interfere with taking clear X-rays.

Technicians will advise that women wear pants or a skirt with a top that they can easily remove along with their bra. They also recommend that women do not use any deodorant, lotions, or powders that may show up as spots on the X-ray.

When You Arrive at the Imaging Center

Most technicians are very considerate and sensitive to what women experience during mammograms. They will ask you to undress above the waist and will give you a wrap to wear.

Many clinics have private dressing areas where you undress and wait for your technician to escort you into the X-ray room. There will only be the two of you in this area which is helpful to reduce any anxieties you may have.

You will stand in front of the mammogram machine, and the technician will position your body and breast for the most accurate X-rays. Your breast will rest on the device, and a plastic upper plate will lower and compress your breast.

The process takes 10 to 15 seconds for each body position, and there are usually only two or three X-rays taken per breast. The whole procedure only takes about 20 minutes.

Your Mammography Results

Mammography produces black-and-white digital images of your breast tissue that will be sent to a physician specializing in radiology to interpret. An imaging center could also refer to a teleradiology company to have a radiologist do the interpretation. Most clinics offer 2D mammograms for breast screening, but many facilities now offer 3D mammograms.

The radiologist will then report their findings to your healthcare provider. This process will take approximately ten days but could take longer. The radiology report will determine if you will need further X-rays, possible MRIs, or treatments. Physicians call back about 10 to 13% of women for abnormal findings, but most of these findings are not breast cancer.

Regular mammograms are an easy, safe way to screen for breast cancer. The most challenging part about the process may be remembering to make your annual appointment, and many women make their birthdays a reminder to make their yearly appointment.

What can be more celebratory than scheduling what may be a life-saving procedure for your health on the most important day of the year for you, your friends, and your loved ones? 

Pediatric Radiology Trends

Pediatric radiology covers a wide range of uses. From broken bones to dental exams to chronic conditions, it’s arguably one of the most important advancements in medical history. Even more impressive, the improvement hasn’t stopped there. Pediatric radiology has made multiple advancements over time, many of them in the past few years, including lower exposure techniques and non-invasive imaging.

One of the most influential advancements in pediatric radiology is the use of ionizing radiation. According to a 2021 article by Imaging Technology News, radiation is a big factor in medical imaging for children. Because their organs are still developing, they are more sensitive to radiation, and can develop illnesses, including leukemia or brain and thyroid cancer, if exposed to too much of it. To combat exposure, medical professionals use computed tomography, fluoroscopy, and the x-ray. All three imaging procedures use a form of ionizing technology which allows doctors to diagnose patients non-invasively. These life-saving advancements are incredibly useful, however, over time and with cumulative exposure, radiation is still a concern, according to the article.

In 2019, Business Wire wrote about a recently approved FDA technology that reduces the dose of radiation to pediatric patients while still producing a clear image. The S-Vue, produced by Samsung, “reduced x-ray dose up to 45% for pediatric abdomen exams, 15.5% for pediatric chest exams, and up to 27% for pediatric skull exams.” S-Vue uses noise-reducing technology to produce these clear images. As if this wasn’t extraordinary enough, Samsung also released an updated version of the S-Vue for adults earlier this year, said Design and Development Today.

For the smallest patients, a new MRI system recently became approved just last year and is being used in Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital, and hospitals around the world, according to Forbes. The Embrace Neonatal MRI System accommodates newborns and infants for clear images while not moving the tiny patient, who may be in critical condition, to different parts of the hospital. According to their website, the Embrace is the first FDA approved neonatal MRI system for exclusive use inside NICUs for newborns.

In addition to technologies used for newborns, ultrasounds have become advanced as well. Usually, an ultrasound is the first record of a new life, producing that fuzzy, albeit beautiful image of a parents’ child. However, ultrasounds are used for many more reasons. According to Forbes, the ultrasound has gotten a bit of an upgrade, including 3-D and 4-D technologies, and an ultra-doppler advancement technique, among other innovations. According to the article, ultrasound elastography is a technique used to detect different stages of liver fibrosis. This technology reduces the need for young patients to undergo a biopsy where sedation and anesthesia may be required.

 

teleradiology pediatric

While the reason for these technologies may not be our favorite thoughts, it is a comfort and an uplifting notion that the innovators, scientists, and medical professionals behind these machines are working hard to help the youngest among us and to reinforce the idea that we are truly here to help one another.

Recent Breakthroughs in Radiology and Imaging

Since the 19th century, radiology and imaging have been making breakthroughs in clinical practice, allowing for safer and more effective treatment for millions of patients. Recent breakthroughs have made the field of radiology more dependable, cost-effective, and practical.

In the healthcare realm, radiology has become the standard for modern equipment used for preventive care, surgical treatment, diagnostics, and more. Here are some ways radiology and imaging have expanded healthcare technology:

Imaging Tests Replace Invasive Surgery

Imaging tests have gone a long way to replace exploratory diagnostic testing and unnecessary invasive surgeries. Before radiology and imaging tests, medical professionals may have had a more challenging time identifying fractures, broken bones, infections, cancers, tumors, strokes, MS, epilepsy, etc.

Imaging tests help doctors, nurses, surgeons, dentists, and more visualize what’s happening inside your body using imaging scans like X-rays, MR scans, CT scans, ultrasounds, etc., without performing invasive surgery. Seeing what’s happening inside your body is an incredible superpower, which is how imaging tests have helped save millions of lives.

If you have to undergo surgical or dental procedures, imaging tests can help guide medical professionals for accurate results.

Scan for Cancer with PET/CT

PET scans combined with CT scanning allow medical professionals to look at your biological functions, metabolic changes associated with cancer, and changes to your organs. While radiation exposure is related to this process, radiology technology is working to reduce that.

Currently, healthcare providers work on limiting exposure using specific medications, lead aprons, and more. The payoff is detecting cancer much earlier than with traditional imaging and scans. Not only can these scans look for cancer, but they can also even monitor your chemotherapy treatment.

ct scan

Breast Cancer Screening with Digital Mammography

Digital mammography is a highly effective screening method for breast cancer, especially compared to traditional methods. Digital mammograms have proven to be more accurate, effective, reliable, and easier to share with other medical providers. 

CT Angiography Blood Vessel Imaging

Until recently, angiography was performed by inserting a catheter into an artery to inject a substance visible in an X-ray. This allows medical professionals to look for internal bleeding, blockages, and other health problems. This process can take a long time, require sedatives, and have a slight chance of bleeding or blood clots. High-tech CT angiography scans provide the same information without being invasive. Plus, the new process takes less than 30 minutes.

As radiology and imaging technology keeps experiencing breakthroughs, the impact on healthcare practice is definite. We can look forward to quicker, minimally-invasive diagnostic exams, more precise and more accurate images, and the ability to share scans instantly between providers.

For patients and providers both, this represents quick visits and satisfying results. Recent breakthroughs in radiology and imaging mean the process is safer, faster, and more cost-effective.

 Teleradiology

Teleradiology itself has been an amazing advancement in the medical field, allowing radiologists from anywhere in the world, the ability to receive and interpret scans. The US Board Certified Radiologists at Vesta are able to work with any healthcare provider to provide premlin and final interpretations, and we work nights, holidays and weekends to support your staff and operations. Contact us to learn more.

Are you Hiring Healthcare Staff The Right Way?

If you work in healthcare, there’s a good chance you’re currently hiring. The industry has been struggling with a labor shortage for years, and the COVID-19 pandemic caused the number of job openings to climb even more.

 

healthcare staffing

Across the country, hospitals and healthcare clinics are desperate for employees, and they are recruiting as hard as they can. But are you recruiting the right way? Here are a few tips to help you attract quality candidates.

Background Checks are Essential

 

Anyone working in healthcare knows that it is vital to conduct a thorough background check on all candidates during the hiring process. Checking up on a candidate’s criminal record, medical licenses, and other data is necessary to keep your patients safe and protect you from massive fines for non-compliance.

However, background checks can also help you select the quality hires that are more likely to stay with your organization — something that’s particularly important in healthcare, an industry with a 19.1% turnover rate. Thorough background checks can help you weed out unreliable candidates and ensure that you hire only the best.

 

Assess Soft Skills

Obviously, you want your ideal candidate to have the credentials and experience required to fulfill the position you’re hiring. But have you considered the candidate’s soft skills?

 

Qualities like empathy, teamwork, and communication skills are becoming increasingly important in the healthcare industry. As healthcare becomes more of a consumer-driven market, patients expect medical professionals to be both courteous and qualified. Make sure you seek out prospective employees with both hard and soft skills.

 

hiring a radiologist

Stay Competitive

The healthcare industry is on the brink of a significant period of job growth. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that healthcare occupations will grow 16 percent from 2020 to 2030, which amounts to about 2.6 million new jobs.

 

With so many vacancies in the field, medical professionals like doctors, nurses, phlebotomists, and radiologists will have their pick of clinics. If you want them to pick you, it’s important to remain competitive.

 

Keep your eye on the industry to ensure your recruiting efforts measure up to other healthcare facilities. Make sure your salary offerings, benefits, and opportunities for work-life balance are comparable to other facilities in your area.

 

If you follow these tips, you’ll be much more likely to attract top talent — and that will lead to significant benefits for your clinic, you, and your patients.

Hiring Radiologists

When it comes to hiring for your radiology department, you might feel like this is the most daunting task. Luckily, teleradiology companies like Vesta offer US Board Certified radiologists who can remotely perform both preliminary and final interpretations for your PET, MRI, MSK, PIP and worker’s comp scans. To learn more, please contact Vesta at 877-558-3782.

Benefits of Teleradiology Services for Urgent Care Facilities

Urgent care facility service use has increased substantially in recent years. Urgent care services’ popularity has provided conveniences and cost reductions of medical care needs.

When a patient enters an urgent care facility, the treating provider determines if radiology services will aid in the diagnosis and treatment plan for the patient. A medical assistant or radiology technician will then use the equipment to produce the radiological images.  

Once the technician creates the radiological images, the treating provider will view and diagnose or send the images to an expert at the teleradiology service contracted with the facility.

Broken bones are not the only reason an urgent care patient may access care at a convenient, local care medical facility. Patients arrive at the facilities for possible strokes, abdominal obstructions, complex pediatric ailments, and other health conditions. Expert radiological assessments can be crucial in practical and immediate treatment.

When a patient who needs radiology services accesses an urgent care facility, fast and professional analysis is essential for effective treatment. 

Teleradiology services have fit in nicely with the goals and objectives of the urgent care facilities for various reasons. Not all patients accessing urgent care need radiology services. Although the service can be life-saving if required, the low rate of use does not warrant the staffing of a full-time radiologist at each facility.

Contracting radiology services for these facilities allows a full-time expert to be available at all times, and these cost savings of a full-time employee are significant.

Teleradiology services allow a physician to access experts anywhere in the country. The pool of providers is not only available at any time, but a radiology expert’s conclusive reports can be sent securely and quickly. 

radiology company
A radiologist reviews an x-ray

If the treating physician has questions about any findings, the radiology expert is easy to reach. This convenience is also possible if the patient or physician requests a second opinion on the results.

With the convenience of radiological expertise availability, urgent care providers can also reduce their professional liability. Providers creating treatment plans for various injuries and symptoms can benefit an urgent care facility contracted with a teleradiological service. Many teleradiology service companies provide a resource for physician consultation. 

Choosing a Teleradiology Company for Your Hospital

Contracting with a teleradiology service can reduce liability for the urgent care facility while increasing and maintaining an excellent public reputation.

The medical care profession has changed drastically over the years, and so have the healthcare consumers. Consumers expect better service, insurance companies expect more conservative costs, and treating physicians need fast results with less liability.

Teleradiology fits nicely into the niche of urgent care facilities because it fits all the criteria of a rapidly changing medical system structure. Teleradiology can be a crucial component for a clinic to provide an ideal service of expert care at an exceptional value.

Teleradiology: Best Providers

Vesta has been providing expert radiology services for over 15 years. We use state of the art technology to streamline your workflow and provide stat readings whenever required. Whether you operate an urgent care center or a private practice our US Board Certified Radiologists are here to help you literally 24×7, even on weekends and nights.

 

teleradiology services
Teleradiologists review an x-ray

 

Please contact us for a custom proposal and a complimentary overview of our services and technology.

Lung Cancer Awareness Month

They’re the words no one ever wants to hear: “You’ve got cancer.”

Luckily, these days our healthcare system has many available tools to help fight off “the big C,” but those words still hold the power to make someone’s life flash before their eyes, bringing the things that matter most into sharp relief.

November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month, a time to recognize both the individuals struggling with this condition and the tireless scientists and medical professionals fighting to stop it. Today, let’s talk about lung cancer and the millions of lives it touches.

Lung Cancer in the U.S.

The CDC describes cancer as “a disease in which cells in the body grow out of control.” Lung cancer first develops in the lungs, though it can also spread to other organs like the lymph nodes or even the brain.

Lung cancer is the second-most common form of cancer in the United States (after skin cancer). In fact, it accounts for 14% of all new cancer diagnoses each year! The largest risk factor for developing lung cancer is tobacco exposure (either through smoking or secondhand smoke), but it’s also possible to develop lung cancer after exposure to asbestos, radon, or other carcinogenic pollutants.

How Radiology Saves Lives

Sadly, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the U.S. – accounting for almost 25% of all cancer casualties. However, there are many treatments our healthcare professionals use to manage and treat lung cancer, from surgeries like segmental resections (where surgeons remove a portion of the affected lung) to radiation therapy.

Of course, lung cancer treatments cannot move forward without help from the radiology department. Radiology and diagnostic imaging are integral to a patient’s entire journey with cancer.

Imaging tests like CT scans, bronchoscopies, or MRIs of the chest are a critical first step for identifying both the presence of cancer cells and the type of cells: non-small cells, which can be removed through surgery with early detection, or small cells, which typically require chemotherapy. Radiology is even vital after treatment, as it can help doctors assess a treatment’s efficacy and monitor the lungs for any signs of cancer coming back.

lung cancer awareness month

Ultimately, surviving lung cancer is possible. However, a person’s survival rate is greater if their doctors detect cancer early and prescribe an effective treatment plan. Both of these things are critical to beat lung cancer — and both are only possible with the help of radiology.

In honor of Lung Cancer Awareness Month, we’d like to say “thank you” to all the radiologists who are saving lives every day by helping identify and inform their medical care — as well as the doctors, scientists, and technicians fighting against lung cancer. This November (and every month after), we are grateful for everything you do.

 

Vesta believes that a good work-life balance is important for your technologists, radiologists and all your staff. That’s why we offer teleradiology services to fill those gaps—nights, weekends and even holidays. 

A device recently approved by the U.S. FDA made extremely precise images of a postmortem sample

A 100-hour MRI scan captured the most detailed look yet at a whole human brain

https://www.sciencenews.org/article/mri-scan-most-detailed-look-yet-whole-human-brain

A device recently approved by the U.S. FDA made extremely precise images of a postmortem sample .
BY

Over 100 hours of scanning has yielded a 3-D picture of the whole human brain that’s more detailed than ever before. The new view, enabled by a powerful MRI, has the resolution potentially to spot objects that are smaller than 0.1 millimeters wide.

“We haven’t seen an entire brain like this,” says electrical engineer Priti Balchandani of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City, who was not involved in the study. “It’s definitely unprecedented.”

The scan shows brain structures such as the amygdala in vivid detail, a picture that might lead to a deeper understanding of how subtle changes in anatomy could relate to disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder.

To get this new look, researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and elsewhere studied a brain from a 58-year-old woman who died of viral pneumonia. Her donated brain, presumed to be healthy, was preserved and stored for nearly three years.

Before the scan began, researchers built a custom spheroid case of urethane that held the brain still and allowed interfering air bubbles to escape. Sturdily encased, the brain then went into a powerful MRI machine called a 7 Tesla, or 7T, and stayed there for almost five days of scanning.

The strength of the 7T, the length of the scanning time and the fact that the brain was perfectly still led to the high-resolution images, which are described May 31 at bioRxiv.org. Associated videos of the brain, as well as the underlying dataset, are publicly available.

Researchers can’t get the same kind of resolution on brains of living people. For starters, people couldn’t tolerate a 100-hour scan. And even tiny movements, such as those that come from breathing and blood flow, would blur the images.

But pushing the technology further in postmortem samples “gives us an idea of what’s possible,” Balchandani says. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first 7T scanner for clinical imaging in 2017, and large medical centers are increasingly using them to diagnose and study illnesses.

These detailed brain images could hold clues for researchers trying to pinpoint hard-to-see brain abnormalities involved in disorders such as comas and psychiatric conditions such as depression. The images “have the potential to advance understanding of human brain anatomy in health and disease,” the authors write.