Collaboration Initiated to Develop Scanning Devices for Pediatrics

GE Healthcare (Chalfont St. Giles, UK), a unit of General Electric Company (Fairfield, CT, USA), in collaboration with Cincinnati Children's Medical Center (OH, USA) and the Davis Heart and Lung Institute of The Ohio State University (Columbus, USA), was awarded US$1 million for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and devices for the Pediatrics Population project.

The Pediatrics Populations project, funded by the Third Frontier Program through the State of Ohio, will address the lack of pediatric MRI coils and surgical stabilization devices with integrated imaging coils by creating industrial-academic collaboration. GEHC Coils, Inc.(Aurora, OH, USA), a wholly owned, subsidiary of the General Electric Co., is teaming up with clinicians and researchers at Cincinnati Children's Hospital and Ohio State University to design, build, and validate new pediatric coils for use in the head, heart, and other anatomies as well as new solutions for surgical magnetic resonance pediatric fixation.

"Use of coils designed for adults result in poor resolution or inability to image small body structures in children,” said Jim Davis, general manager of GE Healthcare's MR business. "This collaboration will help us produce images with superior clarity to help clinicians improve imaging of pediatric patients.”

MRI has become the diagnostic imaging modality of choice for many disease states. The modality has the ability to display anatomy in exquisite detail and provides radiologists multiple ways to examine living tissue without surgery or radiation. "The grant will allow us to explore the development of coils that will give us the ability to visualize a wide range of anatomy that varies in size,” said Mr. Davis. "Specialized imaging coils and surgical stabilization devices specifically targeting anatomy for young children would be extremely valuable in enhancing the ability to obtain diagnostic images, and improve the quality of healthcare for sick children.”

This project reinforces GE's commitment to healthymagination, which works to bring new technologies and solutions to more people. GE Healthcare's expertise in medical imaging and information technologies, medical diagnostics, patient monitoring systems, drug discovery, biopharmaceutical manufacturing technologies, performance improvement and performance solutions services help to deliver better care to more people worldwide.

Related Links:
GE Healthcare
Cincinnati Children's Medical Center
Davis Heart and Lung Institute of The Ohio State University
Third Frontier Program