Ashwin ,
Director & CEO,
Aikenist,
MRI is a golden standard for diagnosis of Cancer, Neurodegenerative disorder, Stroke and other ailments. However, MRI is a slow, costly and inconvenient process for patients. MRI takes 30 mins - 1 hr for a scan and patients feel claustrophobic inside the machine. There is also a long waiting time up to 1 year in public hospitals for MR scanning appointments. So there is a huge need to reduce MR scanning time and waiting time. Aikenist has developed a unique technology that helps to reduce MRI scanning time as well as to improve quality of the MRI scan.
MRI technology uses Magnets and Coils which excites hydrogen atom’s protons and uses time constant to stabilize the spin to plot different tissues of the body. Since hydrogen atoms are present in all tissues in different quantities, the tissue characteristics vary which is useful in good delineation of anatomy and tissue properties within the human body. This helps to detect and characterize tumours, spinal disorders, stroke characteristics. The findings based on MR scanning help in proper detection of disease and treatment to patients.
MRI scanners are based on Magnetic strengths. Popular MRI scanners are 1.5T and 3T MRI scanners. The magnets and coils of MRI scanners are part of hardware in all these machines. Hardware technology has been constant for a long time. What changes in MRI scanning technology is the post processing software to improve the scan quality specifically to improve the Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR). In order to improve SNR, the popular algorithms used in most machines available today are based on image processing. However these algorithms provide suboptimal results and require more samples to increase the SNR. This is highly inefficient as it takes more time to scan the patient.
The solution is to use the AI based algorithms which can provide better SNR with less number of samples acquired.
The latest scanners come with AI based post processing technology embedded in the machine. However this approach is not very suitable in the long term as post processing technology keeps changing every 2 years and newer algorithms provide better results compared to the previous algorithms. The best suited approach for upgradability is to provide the software based solutions which work external to the machine and compatible with all the existing machines.
Aikenist has developed patented AI based algorithms to improve the SNR post acquisition of the scans. The scan time can be reduced by acquiring scans with the fast protocol and post processing the acquired scans to improve the SNR. Aikenist has used Generative AI based method which is the most advanced technology. This has resulted in reducing time by up to 50%, this means a 30 min scan can be done in 15 mins. This 30 mins is the time spent by the patient inside the magnetic bore. This improves patient convenience and helps in increasing the number of scans per machine so that more patients can be addressed with the same infrastructure.
This is very important for public healthcare since there is huge demand to provide advanced care to the population. This also helps to improve the affordability of such diagnostic services.
The solution is validated in clinical trials where Radiologists have agreed that the solution provided good delineation of anatomy and pathology. The solution is regulatory approved by CDSCO.
This kind of technology has the potential to reduce the MR scanning time to less than 5 mins. This means the patient walks in and out for a scan in 5 m paying 70% less than today.
5m Screening for risks for Cancer, Body, Health, Stroke, Chest & Heart in next 5 years.
The Journey Into Industry
Ashwin is Director & CEO of Aikenist. Ashwin has decades of experience in building AI product companies. Ashwin holds several patents and publications, and has a master's degree from IISc.
Aikenist is a Bangalore-based MedTech company specializing in advanced AI solutions for all aspects of radiology, including PACS and RIS. Aikenist solutions are FDA certified and installed in more than 500 locations in India and abroad
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