Patients who need an MRI scan often have to wait a long time. This is not only frustrating for the patients themselves but also creates a significant workload for the Radiology Department. However, at the Dutch Zaans Medical Center (ZMC), waiting lists have recently become a thing of the past. This improvement is thanks to the acquisition of a second MRI scanner and the use of AI-driven software, which reduces scan times by up to 33%.
Until the beginning of this year, the Radiology Department in Zaandam had to go to great lengths to meet the demand for MRI scans. With the installation of a second MRI system, a 1.5T scanner from Siemens Healthineers, early this year, capacity was doubled. Because this had already been considered during the new construction in 2017, all facilities were already in place so that both scanners can be controlled from the same control room.
"We now have two exactly equivalent systems," explains team coordinator Bianca de Dood. "This not only doubles capacity but also makes us more flexible. If a clinical emergency arises, we can perform all the scheduled examinations on the other scanner as well." Thanks to the shared operating space, the two systems can be staffed by three lab technicians, whereas normally two lab technicians are required per scanner. As a result, 25 percent fewer staff are needed per scan.
Deep Resolve
Both scanners are equipped with Deep Resolve: a new image reconstruction technique based on AI, which will also be introduced at Gelre Ziekenhuizen in the fall. This could mean up to 73 percent time savings or allow scanning at twice the resolution in the same examination time.
ZMC’s clinical physicist René Kroes was initially somewhat skeptical about these figures, but from previous experience, he knows that Siemens Healthineers does not share such claims lightly. He explains, "I remember when I first heard 10 years ago that Siemens could achieve a 50 percent dose reduction with iterative reconstruction on CT. That sounded implausible until we started measuring it, and it was true. So, I was especially curious in this case to see what Deep Resolve could do for us."
So far, ZMC has achieved an average scan time reduction of 18 percent. Kroes: "Looking at three of our largest examination areas in terms of volume - knee, lower back, and cervical spine – we save as much as 33 percent. Scan time there has gone from an average of 12-13 to 8 minutes."
Higher Image Quality
According to diagnostic radiographer Gordon Poulain, even more time savings could be achieved. With Deep Resolve, the user can choose between time savings or higher image quality. Poulain: "With Deep Resolve, we can achieve the same resolution on a 1.5T MRI as on a regular 3T MRI. We discussed with radiologists what was most important to us, and we actually chose a balance between the two. So, we now have generally higher resolution AND shorter scan times."
Neuroradiologist Sandra Ferns explains that ZMC wanted to maintain at least the same image quality they were used to. For each examination area separately, the trade-off is between time savings and higher image quality. "With the brain, for example, we opted for limited time savings but considerably higher resolution. We now scan in 3 millimeters, whereas before we used to scan in 5. Sometimes I see a small tumor that I would never have seen otherwise." In the case of cervical vertebrae, too, the potential time savings were partly surrendered for higher image quality.
Major Impact
Nevertheless, the time gained so far in combination with the second scanner has already had a major impact. Waiting lists no longer exist. If someone calls now, there is a good chance they can be seen today if necessary. The structural evening and weekend shifts that used to be utilized to manage waiting lists are also a thing of the past. As a result, staffing is more flexible on weekdays because there are no colleagues to compensate for evening and weekend shifts.
The shorter examination time is also positive for patients. Many patients cannot endure the normal examination time in an MRI tunnel. Scans that take only 5 minutes or so are much more accessible for this group of patients.
And according to Kroes, the efficiency gains could increase even further. "We've only been up and running for a few months. We are now also going to implement a new scheduling system, which will allow us to gain additional time savings. And we are continuing to work with Siemens Healthineers to further refine protocols, for additional time and/or quality gains. We just know there is still a lot of room for further optimization."
