FDA greenlights AI-powered MR software that could give radiotherapy planning a boost
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted Philips 510(k) clearance for its AI-powered MRI platform tailored to the treatment of head and neck cancers.
The software enables clinicians to fine-tune radiotherapy planning in soft tissue tumors of the head and neck. Additionally, the software eliminates the need for multiple imaging exams, including additional CT scans, by deriving CT-like images from a single MRI scan that can be completed in less than three minutes.
“The superior soft tissue imaging of MR together with advances in the integration and orchestration of data, including the use of artificial intelligence, promise greater clarity and less subjectivity in planning radiotherapy for head and neck cancer,” Philips’ chief medical officer for oncology solutions, Ilya Gipp, MD, PhD, said in an Oct. 20 release about the clearance.
AI-enabled MRCAT—MR for Calculating ATtenuation—also has applications for the treatment of cancers in the brain, pelvis and prostate, as it can assist with dose calculations and patient positioning.
This latest clearance was discussed at the 2022 annual meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology, where Philips also shared that they have partnered with MacroMedics—a company that specializes in patient positioning solutions for radiotherapy treatments.
“Our collaboration with MacroMedics to develop a patient-friendly mask system compatible with our high-resolution dStream imaging coils highlights Philips’ commitment to providing the precision tools needed for the localization and characterization of difficult-to-treat tumors,” Gipp said in the release.
MacroMedics’ positioning systems are now compatible with the Philips MR head and neck coil, which can improve patient comfort and positional accuracy. The thermoplastic Prominent mask system is not currently available for U.S. sales, as its FDA clearance is pending.
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In addition to her background in journalism, Hannah also has patient-facing experience in clinical settings, having spent more than 12 years working as a registered rad tech. She joined Innovate Healthcare in 2021 and has since put her unique expertise to use in her editorial role with Health Imaging.