GE Healthcare introduces Sonic DL, an FDA-cleared AI deep learning technology that accelerates cardiac MRI scans. By capturing high-quality images within a single heartbeat, Sonic DL eliminates the need for multiple breath-holds and expands access to patients with arrhythmias. This revolutionary technology reduces scan times by up to 83%, enhances productivity in radiology departments, and improves patient comfort. It showcases GE Healthcare’s commitment to leveraging AI to advance MRI and provide faster, more accurate diagnoses.
GE Healthcare has introduced Sonic DL, an advanced deep learning-based technology that has received FDA clearance and aims to revolutionize magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) by dramatically accelerating image acquisition. This breakthrough technology, which expands GE Healthcare’s portfolio of AI-enabled solutions, is particularly impactful in the field of cardiac MRI.
Cardiac MRI is widely recognized as the gold standard for assessing the structure and function of the heart in cardiovascular disease. However, its adoption worldwide has been limited due to the lengthy exam times involved. The slow acquisition speed of MRI hinders the ability to capture the heart’s contraction in real-time, necessitating multiple heartbeats and breath-holding. This cumbersome process is time-consuming, compromises image quality, and is uncomfortable for patients. Consequently, there is an urgent need to address the growing demand for faster, high-quality, and more comfortable cardiac MR imaging.
To address this need, GE Healthcare has developed Sonic DL for cardiac MRI. This groundbreaking technology is capable of scanning up to 12 times faster compared to conventional methods, enabling rapid cardiac MR functional imaging in as little as a single heartbeat. By matching the speed of MRI to the speed of physiology, Sonic DL minimizes or eliminates the need for repetitive breath-holding, simplifying procedures and expanding the pool of eligible patients to include those with arrhythmias and difficulties in breath-holding.
Dr. Gianluca Pontone, Director of Perioperative Cardiology and Cardiovascular Imaging at Centro Cardiologico Monzino, describes Sonic DL as a game-changer in cardiac imaging. The ability to capture images within a single heartbeat addresses the unique challenges faced by patients with breath-holding difficulties, advanced heart failure, or arrhythmias. This capability not only ensures a smoother and more comfortable experience for patients during MRI exams but also significantly reduces scan times, minimizing motion artifacts that can compromise image quality and enabling more accurate and reliable diagnoses.
Sonic DL’s ability to reduce cardiac MRI scan times by up to 83% also enhances productivity in radiology departments, streamlining workflows, reducing backlogs, and relieving the burden on staff. This cutting-edge technology overcomes the limitations of conventional acceleration techniques, providing unparalleled image quality by tracking the beating heart.
Jie Xue, President & CEO, of Global MR at GE Healthcare, emphasizes that Sonic DL represents a paradigm shift in MR imaging, enabling high-quality imaging in a single heartbeat. It expands patient access and improves diagnostic value for individuals who were previously unable to undergo successful scans. Building upon GE Healthcare’s industry-leading deep learning technology, AIR Recon DL, which has already benefited over 10 million patients, Sonic DL further solidifies GE Healthcare’s leadership in leveraging AI to advance healthcare and improve patient outcomes worldwide.
The development of Sonic DL demonstrates GE Healthcare’s unwavering commitment to advancing MRI through cutting-edge AI deep learning technology. The goal is to extend this technology to all anatomies. The combination of Sonic DL and AIR Recon DL forms a powerful solution suite for enhanced speed and image quality in MRI exams.
