Four Medical Imaging Trends in Healthcare

FREMONT, CA: Medical imaging procedures have revolutionized the field of medicine. It allows doctors to diagnose diseases more accurately and rapidly. There is no doubt that medical imaging can save lives. It uses techniques and processes that create images of various parts of the human body for diagnostic and treatment purposes within digital health. Examples of medical imaging include; x-ray radiography, fluoroscopy, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), medical ultrasonography, tactile imaging, thermography, medical photography and thermography, medical photography and nuclear medicine functional imaging techniques. 

As medical imaging grows more advanced, more patients are enjoying longer lives . It also reduces the risk of life-threatening surgeries. Medical imaging gives doctors an alternative to invasive diagnostic procedures. It also helps to know how well treating is going and to adjust their approach to find the best chances of recovery. 

Medical Imaging market Trends

1. Artificial Intelligence (AI)

AI can support radiologists and pathologists as they use medical imaging to diagnose a wide variety of conditions. Multiple studies have indicated that AI tools can perform just as well, if nor better, than human clinicians at identifying features in images quickly and precisely. AI driven analytics can improve the accuracy and speed of decision making. For example, Google’s Deep MInd can read  3D retinal OCT scans and diagnose ophthalmic conditions with 99% accuracy. This allows to cut down the delay between scan  and treatment. ICAD’s “Profound AI” is a solution for digital breat tomosynthesis. Siemen Healthineer & Intel has partnered to explore how AI can improve cardiac MRI diagnosis. The AI enabled MRI diagnosis enables specialists to improve their speed of work.

2. Augmented Intelligence 

Augmented Intelligence is an alternative conceptualization of artificial intelligence that focuses on AI’s assistive role, emphasizing the fact that it is designed to supplement human intelligence rather than replacing it.  The word  augment means “to improve”. It reinforces the role human intelligence plays when usingML and deep learning algorithms to discover relationships and solve problems. 

Augmented intelligence makes more sense than artificial intelligence, especially in healthcare. In the healthcare industry human intelligence cannot be replaced. Augmented intelligence specifies systems that augment human intelligence rather than attempting to replace them.

3. Virtual and augmented reality & 3D Medical  imaging

Virtual reality and 3D medical imaging techniques have important implications within the healthcare industry.

New augmented techniques like Echopixel True 3D make it possible for physicians to create a 3D image of MRI’s. They can examine the image with 3D glasses in a VR headset. They are connected to pointing devices. Medical professionals can rotate the image and make cross-sections.  Augmented reality is one of the most promising digital health technologies at present. It has the potential to change healthcare and everyday medicine completely for physicians and patients alike.

Augmented reality can save lives through showing defibrillators nearby. Downloading Layar reality browser combined with AED4EU application to your phone next to the basic emergency numbers so that it can help someone in danger. Companies like Proprio help surgeons to see through obstacles and blockages that may impede a high risk operation. Nurses can find veins easier with augmented reality with the help of a handheld scanner that projects over skin and shows nurses where veins are in the patient’s body.

3. Nuclear Imaging

Nuclear imaging is used to study organ and tissue function. A tiny amount of a radioactive substance is used during the procedure to assist in the exam. Nuclear medicine imaging uses small amounts of radioactive material to diagnose, evaluate or treat a variety of diseases. These include many types of cancers, heart diseases, gastrointestinal, endocrine or neurological disorder and other abnormalities.  They use a special camera that detects radioactivity. These procedures use radioactive materials called radiopharmaceuticals.

Examples of diseases treated with nuclear imaging procedures are hyperthyroidism, thyroid cancer, lymphomes, and bone pain from other types of cancers. Currently there are many developments in this area. For example, Amyloid PET imaging helps predict Alzhemiers progression. Explorer Total- body PET scanner is the first medical imaging scanner capable of capturing 3 dimensional images of the entire body at the same time.

4. Wearables

The healthcare wearables market is expected to $6 million by 2023 and $150 billion by 2027, making it ideal space to launch new products. From Fit Bit and the Apple watch to glucose monitors and pacemakers patients are adopting wearable devices to monitor their own health and wellness. Two portable wearable include: The portable MEG brain scanner which measures brain activity and MRI glove which provide clear, consistent images of moving joints and tendons. This glove-shaped MRI device has been fit with garment-like directors. These detectors produce an accurate map of a hand’s anatomy.