If you think cardiology is the only opportunity for niche CT, think again. CT could well be on the verge of a major change in usage fomented not by technology but by perspective. And MR might not be far behind. As happens so often, history will guide the way.
If you think cardiology is the only opportunity for niche CT, think again. CT could well be on the verge of a major change in usage fomented not by technology but by perspective. And MR might not be far behind. As happens so often, history will guide the way.
In the half-century since diagnostic ultrasound exams were done in recycled WWII gun turrets filled with water, this technology has stratified across a mind-boggling spectrum of platforms, ranging from premium-performance cart-based systems to PC plug-and-scans. CT will never go that far. The need for a gantry, patient table, and console will make sure of that. But CT is well on its way to a stratification paradigm that could put multislice technology in the hands of any physician.
Brand new multislice scanners can be had today for under a half-million dollars. And the price could go lower, if submarkets generate enough demand. Business dynamics support doing exactly that.
As the industry moves on to megaslice scanners, manufacturers are facing two choices: abandon earlier platforms or repackage them. The reason is simple - radiologists aren't going to buy these scanners. That leaves physician groups outside radiology to operate this technology. Philips realized the strategic opportunity outside radiology with the release of its Brilliance CT Private Practice CV, which is aimed at diagnostic cardiologists. Other manufacturers will follow if they want to keep up. And this might be only the beginning.
Other specialists might want to have their own CTs. Quad- and 16-slice scanners are powerful tools with capabilities well suited to niche applications.
OEMs will find the best candidates written between the lines of Medicare policy. Cuts in reimbursements, especially ones that physician groups have come to depend on, could lead these groups to make up losses by performing exams traditionally done by radiologists.
If CT goes this route, only MR will remain solidly within the control of radiologists. And MR has already been democratized to other specialties with the sale of niche products designed for orthopedics and mammography. Cardiologists have gotten a whiff of its potential for assessing cardiac function and performing angiography. Psychiatrists and neurologists might like a head-only unit for tracing nerves in the brain. Vascular surgeons probably could find some use for a whole-body angiography unit.
These niche scanners are on the drawing board. Their adoption may be history waiting to be happen.
CT Study: AI Algorithm Comparable to Radiologists in Differentiating Small Renal Masses
May 14th 2024An emerging deep learning algorithm had a lower AUC and sensitivity than urological radiologists for differentiating between small renal masses on computed tomography (CT) scans but had a 21 percent higher sensitivity rate than non-urological radiologists, according to new research.
The Reading Room: Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Cancer Screenings, and COVID-19
November 3rd 2020In this podcast episode, Dr. Shalom Kalnicki, from Montefiore and Albert Einstein College of Medicine, discusses the disparities minority patients face with cancer screenings and what can be done to increase access during the pandemic.
FDA Clears AI-Powered Qualitative Perfusion Mapping for Cone-Beam CT
May 6th 2024Reportedly validated in more than 10 clinical trials, the AngioFlow perfusion imaging software enables timely identification of brain regions with cerebral blood flow reduction and those with significant hypoperfusion.
Can a CT-Based Radiomics Model Bolster Detection of Malignant Thyroid Nodules?
May 3rd 2024A computed tomography (CT)-based radiomics model that includes 28 radiomic features showed significantly higher accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity than conventional CT in differentiating benign and malignant thyroid nodules, according to newly published research.