Cardiac MR skips a beat

Siemens Medical Solutions has developed cardiac MR software that eliminates the need for an electrocardiogram. The technology was introduced in February during the Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance meeting in Orlando, FL. The software extracts cardiac motion information from MRI data, avoiding problems typically associated with obtaining a reliable ECG signal inside a high magnetic field. Siemens developed the software with partners at Northwestern University and the Cleveland Clinic. Initial results in a clinical study to be published later this year suggest that the technology may have image quality advantages over standard ECG synchronization. Siemens plans to extend the software to respiratory gating to eliminate the need for patient breath-holding during cardiac MR scans.