Grant Awarded to Develop Pediatric Scanning Devices

August 30, 2010 — In collaboration with Cincinnati Children’s Medical Center and the Davis Heart and Lung Institute of The Ohio State University, GE Healthcare, a unit of General Electric Company, was awarded $1 million for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and devices for the “Pediatrics Population” project. This project reinforces GE’s commitment to healthymagination which works to bring new technologies and solutions to more people.

The Pediatrics Populations project, funded by the Third Frontier program through the State of Ohio, will address the lack of pediatric magnetic resonance imaging coils and surgical stabilization devices with integrated imaging coils by creating industrial-academic collaboration. GEHC Coils Inc., a wholly owned, Ohio-based subsidiary of the General Electric Company, 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.”

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) has become the diagnostic imaging modality of choice for many disease states. MRI 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 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,” added Davis.