A new artificial intelligence (AI) technology used for heart imaging has successfully been developed by a team of international researchers and doctors from UVA Health hospital in Charlottesville, Virginia.
In an article published in the scientific journal Circulation in August, the team reported great success in using its AI approach, known as Virtual Native Enhancement (VNE).
The new VNE technology allows doctors to image the heart more often and more quickly, the researchers said in the report. It also may help doctors detect subtle changes in the heart earlier, though more testing is needed to confirm that.
VNE was developed as a replacement for traditional cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging, which requires contrast injections. The technology would benefit patients who are allergic to the contrast agent injected for CMR, as well as patients with severely failing kidneys.
The new technology works by using AI to enhance "T1-maps" of the heart tissue created by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). These maps are combined with enhanced MRI imaging and overlaying the two types of images creates VNE.
"This is a potentially important advance, especially if it can be expanded to other patient groups,” said division of cardiovascular medicine chief at UVA Health Dr. Christopher Kramer.
"Being able to identify scar [tissue] in the heart, an important contributor to progression to heart failure and sudden cardiac death, without contrast, would be highly significant," he said. "CMR scans would be done without contrast, saving cost and any risk, albeit low, from the contrast agent."