Detroit-based MRI technology company SpinTech, Inc. has acquired medical-imaging research and technology developer Magnetic Resonance Innovations, Inc. (MR Innovations). The acquisition brings a team of PhD and master’s-level engineers and physicists and also includes MR Innovations’ 10 patents, more than 300 published papers, and a network of more than 50 global collaborators.
To honor the legacy of MR Innovations, the company, which currently does business under the name SpinTech Imaging, will rebrand to use the name SpinTech MRI.
“Our goal has always been to push the boundaries of what’s possible with MRI while delivering practical solutions for the benefit of clinicians and patients along the way,” says company CEO Ward Detwiler. “With the acquisition of MR Innovations, we’re able to better pioneer the forefront of MRI technology while continually improving the present.”
Joining SpinTech to provide fully integrated research and development, MR Innovations also brings its expertise in protocol development for medical imaging scans, image processing services, clinical research organization consulting, and innovation in imaging hardware and software, company officials say.
“We are thrilled to provide end-to-end technology development for our MRI partners, radiologists, neurologists and researchers through this acquisition,” adds Detwiler.
In the past, MR Innovations and SpinTech have worked closely to create technology for products such as STAGE, a standardized MRI software program allowing for improved efficiency and AI-assisted detection. STAGE technology allows for up to 40% faster MRI acquisition times for brain scans, improved visualization, and quantitative results with applications across conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, dementia, traumatic brain injury, multiple sclerosis and stroke, according to company officials.
“With the expertise of our MR Innovations team members,” adds founder and chief science officer Mark Haacke, PhD. “SpinTech MRI will now see medical imaging software production from base research to clinical deployment, continuing to lead MRI technology development with revolutionary ideas realized through fully supported software and products.”
