Philips gets patent for open MRI
Philips has received a patent for a technology similar to that used in an open MRI scanner, but don't expect the company to introduce an open system based on the patent any time soon. The company confirmed that it has received the patent, but said that
Philips has received a patent for a technology similar to that used in an open MRI scanner, but don't expect the company to introduce an open system based on the patent any time soon. The company confirmed that it has received the patent, but said that it has no plans to develop a commercial product as described in the patent.
Philips is one of the few major MRI vendors that does not have an open-style magnet in its product line. The Dutch vendor has said that its short-bore magnets have advantages over open-style systems due to their higher field strengths and superconducting architectures.
The technology described in the patent, U.S. Patent No. 5,666,056, is for an MRI system with a main magnet that has a frame with two magnetic elements that face each other, creating a gap in which the patient is imaged.
A Philips spokesperson said the company doesn't plan to develop an open-style magnet based on the technology covered by the patent, but does not rule out the future development of a Philips open MRI scanner.
"We have no plans to develop the product as described (in the patent), which does resemble an open MR system," the spokesperson said. "However, as in any planning process, we are always evaluating product development to meet market demands."
ASCO: Study Reveals Significant Racial/Ethnic Disparities with PSMA PET Use for Patients with mPCa
May 30th 2025Latinx patients with metastatic prostate cancer were 63 percent less likely than non-Hispanic White patients to have PSMA PET scans, according to a study of 550 patients presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) conference.
Lunit Unveils Enhanced AI-Powered CXR Software Update
May 28th 2025The Lunit Insight CXR4 update reportedly offers new features such as current-prior comparison of chest X-rays (CXRs), acute bone fracture detection and a 99.5 percent negative predictive value (NPV) for identifying normal CXRs.
New MRI Study Questions Use of Corticosteroid Injections for Knee OA
May 27th 2025Two years after intraarticular knee injections for knee osteoarthritis (OA), study participants who had corticosteroid knee injections had greater OA progression than control patients while the use of hyaluronic acid injections was associated with less OA progression.
