The Utah hospital is the second facility in the US to adopt the technology, which aims to shorten exam times and improve diagnostic images for heart and cancer patients.
Intermountain Medical Center in Murray, Utah, is the first hospital in the state, and only the second in the US, to deploy the GE HealthCare SIGNA Sprint Elite magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system, according to an announcement from Intermountain Health.
According to the health system, the new system began operating earlier this year and uses artificial intelligence software to reduce scan times and generate clearer images to assist physicians in diagnosing heart disease and cancer.
“A moving heart with blood flowing through it is one of the hardest things to get clear images of without taking long periods of time in an MRI machine,” says Brent Wilson, MD, an Intermountain Health cardiologist at Intermountain Medical Center, in a release. “These clearer images allow us to use new approaches to mapping out injured areas of heart tissue which improves our treatments. This is a big leap forward in cardiac MRI, and we’re excited to be one of the first in the United States using it.”
Enhancing Image Quality and Operational Throughput
According to Intermountain Health, the system incorporates built-in artificial intelligence technology designed to reduce image noise and improve image clarity. This capability was not available on the hospital’s previous MRI systems.
The improved image quality can help decrease the amount of time patients spend inside the scanner, potentially allowing the facility to increase overall imaging volume, according to the health system.
“Faster scans mean reduced wait times, and patients don’t have delays in getting the diagnosis and care that they need,” says Amy Warnick, MRI coordinator at Intermountain Medical Center, in a release.
Prioritizing Patient Comfort
The technology also allows technologists to acquire cardiac images without requiring patients to hold their breath for extended periods, according to the release.
“Asking someone to hold their breath doesn’t seem like a big deal, but for a person with heart issues it can be taxing on the body,” says Warnick in a release. “This new machine isn’t just giving us exceptional images but is putting patient comfort as a major focus and we’re already seeing a difference.”
Representatives from GE HealthCare say the collaboration is intended to support timely clinical decision-making for complex conditions.
“We’re grateful to collaborate with Intermountain Health to bring SIGNA Sprint Elite MRI to clinicians and patients in Utah,” says Joel Christensen, enterprise client director at GE HealthCare, in a release. “Our goal is to help clinicians get the information they need to make timely, confident care decisions for patients facing serious conditions such as heart disease and cancer. This work reflects our shared focus on advancing high-quality, patient-centered care in Utah.”
Photo caption: Intermountain Health and GE HealthCare group photo
Photo credit: GE HealthCare
