Project description
Smart algorithm to reduce gadolinium dosage in magnetic resonance imaging
The contrast agent gadolinium is commonly used in magnetic resonance imaging to enhance the visibility of internal structures. This improves diagnostic accuracy of pathologies such as metastases. In cranial magnetic resonance tomography, patients receive a full dose of the contrast agent according to body weight. Though usually eliminated through the renal system, gadolinium is toxic and can cause severe side effects, including allergic reactions and kidney complications. To address this, the EU-funded DAICAR project has developed an AI-based algorithm that enables a reduction of gadolinium dosage. Initial data has proven promising, so the project now aims to advance the clinical standard of its smart algorithm.
Objective
In cranial magnetic resonance tomography (cMRT), the administration of contrast agent facilitates diagnosis of various pathologies such as metastases due to contrast agent enhancement. Patients undergoing a medically indicated cMRT receive 100% of the authorized contrast agent dose, i.e. 0.1 mmol of gadolinium per kg body weight. The main component of MRT contrast agent is gadolinium, which is a highly toxic rare-earth element, which has potential health side effects (inter alia allergic reactions and accumulation in the body) as well as environmental side effects (accumulation in the tap water).
Due to the aforementioned issues, the reduction of contrast agent dose in cMRT is highly desirable. To tackle this issue, Katerina Deike-Hofmann from the Clinic for Neuroradiology at the University Hospital Bonn together with colleagues and collaborators from the Institute of Mathematics and Life Sciences developed an artificial intelligence (AI)-based algorithm that allows for contrast agent reduction called SmartContrast. Until today, more than 1.000 prospective data sets were acquired at seven different clinics and SmartContrast showed excellent generalizibility. Thus, Katerina Deike-Hofmann founded the relios.vision GmbH as a spin-off of the University Bonn to commercialize SmartContrast. Her goal is to advance the clinical standard by combining knowledge from the areas of medicine, mathematical image processing, computer vision, and artificial intelligence.
Fields of science
Programme(s)
- HORIZON.3.2 - European innovation ecosystems Main Programme
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-CSA - HORIZON Coordination and Support ActionsCoordinator
53113 BONN
Germany