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Patient-friendly MRI scans

New patient populations can undergo magnetic resonance imaging thanks to NSF-funded mathematics research.

Faster MRIs are reducing patient costs for the imaging technique.


Faster MRIs are reducing patient costs for the imaging technique.
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July 9, 2018

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In 2017, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved two new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) devices that scan between eight and 16 times faster than conventional methods. Cardiac scans now take just 25 seconds and do not require patients to hold their breath. The FDA approval makes MRIs available to patient populations previously ineligible for some scans, such as those with irregular heartbeats, those with dementia and children.

The devices, now commercially available from Siemens (CS Cardiac Sine) and General Electric (Hypersense), rely on compressed sensing, a breakthrough technique developed 10 years ago by NSF-supported mathematicians. Faster MRI scans will give more patients access to the imaging technology at a lower cost per patient.

NSF Directorate(s):
Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences
Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering

Locations
California

Related Awards
#0505303 Rigorous Methods for Dimensionality Reduction of High-Dimensional Data
#0515362 Signal Recovery from Highly Incomplete Data
#0619860 Cluster Expansion for Applied and Computational Mathematics
#0631558 Alan T. Waterman Award

This NSF Impact is one of thousands of research outcomes made possible by NSF that help fuel the U.S. economy, enhance national security and sustain U.S. global leadership by advancing knowledge. You can search for more NSF Impacts at https://www.nsf.gov/impacts.

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