GE Healthcare announces the integration of Spectronic Medical AB AI-based software for more precise cancer treatment planning. This AI solution, in combination with GE Healthcare’s AIR Recon DL technology, enables MR-only based radiotherapy planning for better soft-tissue differentiation than traditional CT, so clinicians can better direct radiotherapy.
About 60% of patients with cancer need radiation therapy, which requires high-quality images to precisely target lesions while sparing healthy tissue. Currently, CT images are the industry standard for radiation treatment planning; however, these images do not provide appreciable soft tissue contrast, which is especially important for the most common types of radiation oncology therapies in the brain, head-neck, and pelvis.
In response, Waukesha, Wis.-based GE Healthcare and Sweden-based Spectronic Medical are combining technologies to offer a complete deep learning solution. The process begins with GE Healthcare’s AIR Recon DL, a deep learning image reconstruction technology that makes full use of all the raw data coming off the MR scanner to reduce image noise, maximize image quality and resolution, and shorten scan times.
The MR images generated by the GE scanner are then converted into synthetic CT images by Spectronic Medical’s AI-based solution, providing clinicians with the CT images they have come to expect with the MR soft-tissue details they need to more accurately target lesions and help improve patient outcomes.
“By using an MR image and creating a synthetic CT image, our MRI Planner software is designed to improve accuracy, increasing the precision by which radiotherapy can be delivered to the patient, as well as simplifying the physician’s workflow,” says Spectronic Medical CEO Carl Siversson. “Our customers say the benefits are enormous—it could increase the chances of successful cancer treatment and minimize the negative side-effects from radiotherapy, which often follow patients throughout their lives.”
Ben Newton, general manager, oncology, GE Healthcare, also spoke out about the technology, commenting: “Already, AIR Recon DL has benefited over a half a million patients around the world, with clinical users observing sharper and less noisy images and up to a 50% reduction in exam times. Now, we are delighted to combine this breakthrough image reconstruction technology with Spectronic’s AI-based software for use in brain, pelvic, head and neck radiotherapy planning.
“Together,” Newton adds, “we are introducing a full AI and deep learning-based MR radiation oncology solution to healthcare providers to help enable high-precision treatment planning and improve clinical outcomes for thousands of radiotherapy patients.”
