MRI Providers: Watch for Patients with Metal Face Masks & Magnetic Eyelashes

 

Technologists are well-aware of the possibility of metal burns from MRI machines. Due to the components of an MRI, all metal must be removed prior to patients entering Zone III, the space before entering the scanner room. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the world to wear face masks in public indoor areas, including medical procedures. Also, of recent fashion trends, women have become more prone to use magnetic eyelashes, a beauty product that is easier to apply and remove. Both have resulted in MRI patient injuries.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a statement warning health care providers that patients might be injured if they wear face masks with metal parts during a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) exam. These small metal parts are usually found within the nose area or throughout the mask fabric. Nose clips, wires, ultrafine particles, or antimicrobial coating (silver or copper) can become hot and burn MRI patients.

This note of caution comes as a patient received burns from donning a face mask during an MRI. “The FDA is reminding patients and providers that patients should not wear any metal during an MRI,” according to the statement issued.

The Journal of Applied Clinical Medical Physics issued a report explaining how magnetic eyelashes are unsafe in an MRI; some lashes can rapidly become moving projectiles. False eyelashes are placed onto magnetic eyeliner (applied to eyelids) or discreetly clamp around natural eyelashes. Patients might forget to mention the eyelashes and MRI technicians might not notice them.

All medical providers should screen patients for MRI safety. Tiny metallic objects within face masks or fake eyelashes can easily slide past an initial assessment. If patients experience burns while wearing face masks, providers are encouraged to report the incident to the FDA. Gathered reports help the FDA improve patient safety.

For more information regarding the FDA’s warning, read the full report. The complete journal article pertaining to magnetic eyelashes can be found here.

Acceletronics is an industry leader in delivering the best equipment performance and service reliability from CT Scanners and Linear Accelerators across all major brands and models. Call 610-524-3300 or visit our website: https://www.acceletronics.com.

 

 

Written by the digital marketing staff at Creative Programs & Systems: www.cpsmi.com.

Acceletronics is Proudly a US-Exclusive Distributor of CNERGY

 

New solutions were discovered through a collaboration of partners in radiotherapy. CNERGY is an innovative solution for “Quality Assurance & Safety,” “Precision, Imaging, and Viewing,” “Patient Identification and Monitoring,” and “Advanced Couch Setup and Control.” These solutions were created in response to specific practical issues, employing the latest guaranteed technologies. Joining these forces will deliver synergistic precision and safety for radiologists and patients.

Accurate and safe radiotherapy treatments are achieved using CNERGY Quality Assurance and Safety. Patients are positioned in the most effective way based on image verification or CBCT registration results. This ensures safety margins are reduced around the target and critical organs. The entire workflow is secured using interlocks.

Radiotherapy treatments are unique; with CNERGY Precision, Imaging and Viewing Solutions, the best treatment will be applied. Total body treatments, fast double 2D kV, or MV imaging are all offered under CNERGY's exclusive Image-Guided Radiotherapy (IGRT) abilities that correctly verify the patient's position.

A crucial aspect of radiotherapy is Patient Identification and Monitoring. CNERGY ensures the correct patient receives the proper treatment. The most advanced techniques are implemented to help radiotherapy clinics abide by all current regulations.

Advanced Couch Setup and Control is a unique CNERGY solution encompassing six degrees of freedom corrections in clinic settings. The same software and user interface allow patients to be treated easily. No extra workload is needed, so non-stereotactic patients can be positioned with precision.

To learn more about the CNERGY solution, visit our website.

Acceletronics is an industry leader in delivering the best equipment performance and service reliability from CT Scanners and Linear Accelerators across all major brands and models. Call 610-524-3300 or visit our website: https://www.acceletronics.com.

 

Written by the digital marketing staff at Creative Programs & Systems: www.cpsmi.com.

National Radiologic Week Celebrates Technologists

 

Few people and professions have been on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic as much as radiology technicians. They have directly impacted patients and taken a front-seat approach to the outbreak, as they work closely with coronavirus patients daily.

National Radiologic Technology Week (NRTW) marks the centennial celebration for the American Society of Radiologic Technologists (ASRT) but also serves as an opportunity to exhibit those who perform thousands of X-rays, MRIs, CTs, mammograms, nuclear medicine, cardiac and vascular international, and ultrasound procedures weekly. NRTW is celebrated annually to recognize the vital work of radiologic technologists across the nation. It commemorates the discovery of the x-ray by Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen on November 8, 1895.

Over 340,000 radiologic technologists have conducted chest X-rays, CT scans, and cardiac ultrasounds for COVID-19 patients. These lifesaving techniques have been critical in detecting and managing virus progression. Proper ventilation placement and ensuring patients receive appropriate care is of the utmost importance when dealing with pandemic patients.

To learn more about NRTW, check out the American Society of Radiologic Technologists website. For purchasing radiologic equipment, contact the experts at Acceletronics today.

Acceletronics is an industry leader in delivering the best equipment performance and service reliability from CT Scanners and Linear Accelerators across all major brands and models. Call 610-524-3300 or visit our website: https://www.acceletronics.com.

Written by the digital marketing staff at Creative Programs & Systems: www.cpsmi.com.

Brain Tumor Visibility Doubled with New MRI Technique

 

When compared to existing visualization methods, a new 3D technique with MRI scans doubles the visibility of brain tumors. Since a large number of tumors are discernable, the new process has the potential to make it easier to treat them earlier and at smaller, more manageable stages.

Robert Edelman, M.D., is an inventor, lead author, and clinical professor of radiology. His work was shared in the Science Advances journal. He said, “Our goal is for the new technique – T1RESS – to help thousands of patients by allowing malignant tumors to be detected at an earlier, more curable stage.”

According to the American Brain Tumor Association, 700,000 Americans are living with brain tumors and 16,000 will die this year. The new MRI technique can catch the tiny malignant tumors that often escape notice, potentially saving lives and improving outcomes. 

The hope is that those patients undergoing surgery or radiotherapy will receive better clinical outcomes by making the tumor margins on contrast-enhanced scans more visible.

Edelman and his colleagues studied brain tumors in 54 patients to determine how well T1RESS works. He applied magnetic fields and radio waves used to generate MRI signals differently from existing imaging techniques. The new technique uniquely manipulates brain tissue signals to produce images that offer significantly improved tumor visibility. This application makes T1RESS highly sensitive to the T1 shortening effects of paramagnetic contrast agents, but it also reduces the signal intensity of non-enhancing background issues, both improve tumor visualization.

Experimental results showed that the new technique provided a two-fold improvement over existing MRI methods in regards to the contrast between tumors and normal brain tissue. Edelman compared the visualization to seeing more stars: “There just isn’t enough contrast between the stars and the sunlit sky to make them visible. In the case of brain tumors, T1RESS doubles the contrast between tumors and normal brain, so the tumors are more easily detected. It’s like looking at the stars on a dark night instead of a sunny day,” Edelman said. 

A larger, multi-site trial will need to be performed in order to confirm the findings, but the plan is to apply this technique to both prostate and breast cancers as well. If the benefits are confirmed, widespread use will be as simple as the installation of a specialized software package.

Visit the Science Advances website to read the full journal article. For more information about CT Scanners, Linear Accelerators, and the like, contact Acceletronics today.
 

Acceletronics is an industry leader in delivering the best equipment performance and service reliability from CT Scanners and Linear Accelerators across all major brands and models. Call 610-524-3300 or visit our website: https://www.acceletronics.com.

 

Written by the digital marketing staff at Creative Programs & Systems: www.cpsmi.com.

Radiologists Urge Use of Medical Imaging and AI-Powered Solutions to Manage COVID-19

Recent high-profile cases of COVID-19 combined with the effort to aid in the ongoing battle  against the pandemic have prompted RADLogics to deploy the company’s AI (Artificial Intelligence)-Powered medical image analysis solution worldwide. The company urged U.S. clinicians to embrace medical imaging and emerging technologies such as AI. RADLogics has an AI-powered solution in place which has processed and analyzed thousands of suspected coronavirus cases globally. These efforts have eased the surging workload for radiology, ER, and ICU teams worldwide.

RADLogics strives to make its CT and X-ray AI-powered technology available to hospitals and healthcare systems throughout the U.S. This technology will assist in COVID-19 patient triage and management by providing quantitative analysis to clinical teams. Those patients who exhibit severe or worsening respiratory conditions are accurately assessed, allowing doctors to better triage patients based on those who urgently need intensive care such as ventilator support.

Moshe Becker, CEO and Co-Founder of RADLogics, said, “The use of CT and X-ray in the assessment and treatment plan for President Trump underscores the critical role that medical imaging must play in the fight against COVID-19. We must scale the capabilities of these medical imaging procedures rapidly to support clinicians, hospitals, and healthcare systems throughout the U.S. as they respond to the anticipated second wave of coronavirus and the roll-out of a potential vaccine. Now is the time for hospitals and healthcare providers to embrace and leverage the power of AI technologies and solutions to not only alleviate the increased burden associated with COVID-19 but to help support better outcomes by reducing burnout and errors while delivering better patient outcomes.”

Eliot Siegel, MD, Associate Vice Chair of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine said, “The ability of medical imaging – in combination with AI – to better discover and quantify the burden of COVID-19 has been well-documented. There would be tremendous clinical value in an AI algorithm that could establish and utilize a trajectory of change to predict which subset of patients might need more intense therapy such as medical ventilation, which subset of patients could be more confidently discharged, and predict subsequent clinical course. Today, there are many promising AI applications that have emerged that could allow us to address the major challenges that have hit the healthcare sector during the pandemic, and beyond as we plan to treat patients with COVID-related complications and as we provide diagnostic and therapeutic procedures that were delayed during the surge.”  

Acceletronics is an industry leader in delivering the best equipment performance and service reliability from CT Scanners and Linear Accelerators across all major brands and models. Call 610-524-3300 or visit our website: https://www.acceletronics.com.

 

Written by the digital marketing staff at Creative Programs & Systems: www.cpsmi.com.

Combined Study Results Indicate Possibilities for Lung Cancer Screening in New Zealand

Lung cancer screening might be one step closer to fruition in New Zealand thanks to newly discovered results by the University of Otago, published by medical journal BMJ Open. The indigenous Māori people of New Zealand are particularly susceptible to lung cancer, as their mortality rates are between three and four times higher than other ethnic groups. Around 450 Māori are diagnosed with lung cancer, and approximately 300 die from it yearly. If caught in the early stages, health outcomes for the Māori and other ethnic groups will undoubtedly improve.

To assess whether low-dose computerized tomography (LDCT) might be a cost-effective way to screen for lung cancer, Waitematā and Auckland DHBs collaborated with University of Otago researchers. Led by Associate Professor Sue Crengle (Kāi Tahu, Kāti Mamoe, Waitaha) from the University of Otago, the researchers used scientific modeling to estimate the benefits and costs of LDCT screening when it comes to a high-risk population. LDCT uses a small amount of radiation to produce an extremely clear three-dimensional image from a computerized x-ray.

"Having clarity about the cost-effectiveness of lung cancer screening provides further impetus to get this work started," Associate Professor Crengle says. "If this works for Māori, then it will work for everyone else as well."

Study findings suggested a national biennial lung cancer screening program is likely beneficial in terms of cost-effectiveness for not only the Māori but also the entire population of New Zealand. With early screening, the number of deaths will be reduced among the indigenous people. Countries with screening trials have seen a 20 to 26 percent reduction in lung cancer deaths.

For further reading, check out the original article by News Medical Life Sciences or the journal reference by BMJ Open.

 

Acceletronics is an industry leader in delivering the best equipment performance and service reliability from CT Scanners and Linear Accelerators across all major brands and models. Call 610-524-3300 or visit our website: https://www.acceletronics.com.

 

 

Written by the digital marketing staff at Creative Programs & Systems: www.cpsmi.com