London: Scientists have developed an innovative technology that can halve the time it takes to find patients Heart failure, and may be useful for improving diagnosis and providing more effective treatment to patients. Technology developed by researchers at University of East Anglia (UEA), UK, develops detailed images of four-dimensional (4D) flow using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). the heart.
However, unlike traditional MRIs that take 20 minutes or more, the new scanning technology takes just eight minutes, they said.
The results provide a precise image of the heart valves and blood flow inside the heart, helping doctors determine the best course of treatment for patients.
UEA lead researcher Pankaj Garg said, “Heart failure is a devastating condition resulting from increased pressure within the heart. We are researching one of the most advanced methods of assessing flow within the heart called 4D flow MRI.”
“In 4D flow MRI, we can see flow in three directions over time—the fourth dimension,” Garg said in a statement.
According to research published in the European Journal of Experimental Radiology, the best method for diagnosing heart failure is invasive assessment, which is not preferred because of its risks.
An ultrasound scan of the heart called echocardiography is routinely used to measure the peak velocity of blood flow through the heart’s mitral valve. However, this method can be unreliable, they said.
“This new technology is revolutionizing how heart disease patients are diagnosed. However, it takes up to 20 minutes to perform a 4D flow MRI, and we know that patients don’t like long MRI scans,” said Hossamadin, a PhD student. Asadi said. at UEA.
The research team investigated the reliability of a new technique that uses super-fast methods to scan flow in the heart, called CAT-ARC.
“We found that this cut the scanning time in half – and took about eight minutes. We also showed how this non-invasive imaging technique can accurately and precisely measure the peak velocity of blood flow in the heart,” Asadi said.
The team tested the new technology with 50 patients at two hospitals in Sheffield, UK. Patients with suspected heart failure were evaluated using the new CAT-ARC 4D heart flow MRI.
The team hopes their work could revolutionize the speed of diagnosis of heart failure, benefiting hospitals and patients worldwide.
