Fujifilm MRI advances address patient motion and workflow

With nearly a century of expertise in imaging innovation, FUJIFILM Healthcare Americas Corporation continues to push the boundaries of MR imaging technology. Focused on enhancing patient care and imaging efficiency, the company has introduced groundbreaking solutions driven by artificial intelligence (AI) to address common challenges like motion artifacts, which can lead to repeat scans.

One study found motion artifacts were the cause of repeated sequences in about 20% of MRI exams – which can cost facilities approximately $115,000 per scanner per year.[1] That’s why Fujifilm recently introduced several tools, including MotionClear Comprehensive MRI Motion Correction Suite and Synergy DLR Deep Learning Reconstruction technology.

Synergy DLR reduces noise and enables short exams with excellent image quality. Together with MotionClear, these advancements can help technologists deliver clear, high-quality images with fewer motion artifacts and reduced repeat scans. “Getting it right the first time is critical because when we don't get it right, patients are inconvenienced, referring physicians are unhappy and hardworking radiologists are frustrated. So, it’s wonderful for both the enterprise and patients to get it right the first time. I salute Fujifilm for bringing this technology to customers and patients,” said Lawrence Tanenbaum, MD, FACR, editorial advisory board member at Applied Radiology, and former chief technology officer at RadNet.

Synergy DLR: AI-Driven to reduce image noise

Synergy DLR fundamentally changes the image quality and scan time relationship. The Deep Learning-trained reconstruction reduces image noise, yielding increased signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). With increased available SNR, image quality can hold constant with much reduced sequence time. Alternatively, users can increase spatial resolution without the previous MRI generation’s scan time penalty, or combine spatial resolution and scan time advantages. “Users are stunned by the scan time reductions with the image quality it has. From a patient standpoint, the best scan is the one that gets done fastest. So, if you can deliver image quality with fast scan time, it's a bonus for everybody,” said Shawn Etheridge, Executive Director, Modality Solutions Marketing at FUJIFILM Healthcare Americas Corp.

The Synergy DLR portfolio includes Synergy DLR Rise to decrease image noise and Synergy DLR Clear to reduce noise and truncation artifacts. Synergy DLR Clear enables radiologists to see the clear images behind the noise. By removing noise and truncation artifact from raw images, scans bring increased clarity and ease of use. Improved SNR means scan times can be dramatically reduced, mitigating workflow issues and letting patients get back to their busy lives. “It essentially creates a new standard of care in terms of image quality. We're not just going faster, we’re getting better images,” said Dr. Tanenbaum.

A solution for every type of motion

Dr. Tanenbaum groups patient movement into three categories: patients with expected movement (such as respiration), unexpected movement (such as a sneeze) and non-compliant patients (including patients who are unable to stay still for the duration of the scan). Complementing Synergy DLR image noise reduction, MotionClear has tools to address all of these situations. “It's really nice to see that virtually every predictable and unpredictable motion has a built-in solution. As someone who has run a fleet, I love the idea that my teams with variable experience in variable settings with variable patient tolerance will be able to issue a consistent, high-quality exam,” said Dr Tanenbaum.

Many types of studies, such as a shoulder scan, can be impacted by normal motion due to respiration or a beating heart. Radiologists often use a modified radial technique to eliminate this unavoidable motion, but few vendors have been able to extend DLR to these radial sequences. However, Fujifilm’s technology can apply DLR to radial sequences without artifacts. “Our RADAR iRCM function fills in the missing case-based pieces when the blades don't overlap completely. That delivers comprehensive motion reduction and artifact suppression,” said Etheridge.

Synergy Vision combines multiple in-bore cameras with StillShot to mitigate the impact of motion artifacts. The system detects and corrects motion, negating the need for repeats. “Our Navigated StillShot comes in handy for breath hold cases because you can manipulate k-space through iterative processing to reduce artifact in the image. Our Visual StillShot relies on two cameras inside the magnet to monitor the patient throughout the scan and keep track of motion as you collect k-space. If there was a problem during the scan, you can process the image based on the motion you've detected and return a motion-free image,” said Etheridge. From a safety standpoint, this allows technologists to monitor the patient during the scan, ensuring their well-being and promptly addressing any issues that arise.

The SeriesSave tool intelligently protects the in-progress sequence when the scan is aborted due to patient distress. “When you hit the abort button, it uses the data already collected to create an image and get a good scan,” said Etheridge. By integrating Synergy DLR and MotionClear into its MR systems, Fujifilm is proactively addressing motion, while simultaneously improving image quality and shortening scan times. Through consistent, high-quality results even in challenging scenarios, this combination sets a new standard for efficiency and reliability in MR.

References

1. Andre JB, Bresnahan BW, Mossa-Basha M, Hoff MN, Smith CP, Anzai Y, Cohen WA. Toward Quantifying the Prevalence, Severity, and Cost Associated With Patient Motion During Clinical MR Examinations. J Am Coll Radiol. 2015 Jul;12(7):689-95. doi: 10.1016/j.jacr.2015.03.007. Epub 2015 May 9. PMID: 25963225.