Konica Minolta launches DDR at RSNA
At this week’s Radiological Society of North America conference in Chicago, Konica Minolta Healthcare Americas is one of several companies showcasing new artificial intelligence tools for imaging and clinical decision support.
WHY IT MATTERS
Konica Minolta has announced that dynamic digital radiography technology is now available on four of its X-ray systems – KDR Advanced U-Arm, KDR Flex Overhead, mKDR of the GDR, ML and other technologies in addition to its customers.
Research presented by the University of Alabama compares DDR to nuclear medicine lung scintigraphy for lung perfusion assessment. Researchers from Bharti Hospital in Pune, India, will present their findings measuring its efficacy against CT angiography in the evaluation of suspected pulmonary thromboembolism, according to the company’s announcement Sunday.
Konica Minolta’s John Sabol, clinical research manager, will also present on Wednesday how DDR and machine learning are used together to improve the quantitative assessment of shoulder kinematics.
In collaboration with Emory Healthcare’s orthopedics department in Atlanta, the company evaluated the effectiveness of a new ML algorithm for the automated evaluation of DDR images.
Konica Minolta said the algorithm characterizes scapulohumeral rhythm – normal and multiple pathological shoulder movement conditions.
For ultrasound, Wayne, New Jersey-based medical diagnostic imaging and healthcare information technology company Konica Minolta is showcasing its new wireless portable ultrasound device for the first time and introducing real-time remote consultation and image guidance.
The PocketPro H2 is intended for general imaging in point-of-care applications – musculoskeletal, pain management, vascular access and needle guidance – while the new UltraStream Live! This feature is available on a point-of-care ultrasound system that enables calls, screen sharing and video streaming directly to a PC or mobile device, the company said.
Ultrasound streaming and two-way audio allow physicians to send high-resolution, high-frame-rate, low-latency images to a consulting firm during a live scan. The company says the capability brings experts to exams no matter where they are, and provides patients with faster access to real-time specialist assessments and staff with live training capabilities.
THE BIG TREND
Dr. Keith Dreyer, Chief Data Science Officer at Mass General Brigham, said AI will change the future of radiology practice in the US
The advancement of AI in radiology began to manifest at MGB with the 2016 launch of the Center for Clinical Data Science, which is “focused on creating, promoting and translating AI into tools that will improve clinical outcomes, will improve efficiency and improve the patient experience.” targeted care,” says Dreyer.
He noted that the healthcare system began deploying AI in clinical practices around the same time the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
That was quickly followed in 2018 with the signing of a multi-year strategic agreement with Nuance to optimize the rapid development, validation and use of AI for radiologists at the point of care. As part of this initiative, the CCDS algorithms developed to improve radiologist efficiency and report quality were made available on the Nuance AI Marketplace. Nuance was acquired by Microsoft in 2022.
Dr. Adam Landman, MGB’s chief information officer, said Healthcare IT news in October CIO Spotlight that he was excited about several new AI use cases that ease administrative burdens for physicians, such as environmental documentation.
“We are moving slowly and cautiously in our health care system,” he said of the devices MBG physicians are testing.
“Not everyone will want or need to use these tools,” so they will evaluate which specialties use the tools in testing phases before bringing new AI systems to scale.
ON THE RECORD
“The rapid adoption of dynamic digital radiography across multiple clinical specialties is a testament to the dedication we bring to our work every day,” said Kirsten Doerfert, senior vice president of marketing at Konica Minolta Healthcare Americas, Inc., in a statement.
“That commitment results in solutions that deliver powerful capabilities, promote greater synergy between innovation and health, and enable healthcare professionals to focus on what really matters: patients and their well-being.”
Andrea Fox is editor-in-chief of Healthcare IT News.
Email: afox@himss.org
Healthcare IT News is a HIMSS Media publication.