Moscow scientists have developed the first fetal phantom in Russia to adjust the technology of magnetic resonance scanning of pregnant women. This was told by Anastasia Rakova, Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Social Development.
Phantoms are products that mimic organs, tissues and parts of the human body, necessary for practicing various medical processes. The new development will reduce the time of the study and ensure its widespread use as an additional method of diagnosing pregnant women.
“Today in Moscow, such an informative research method as MRI for diagnosing fetal malformations is not used as often as it could be. Its use limits, among other things, the complexity of configuring scanning protocols. According to statistics, there is a need for this method, since in some cases it is MRI that can provide the most important information not only for pregnancy management, but also for the possible planning of various intrauterine surgical interventions. Moscow scientists have developed a fetal phantom that allows you to customize and refine the scanning technology during diagnostics. This will improve the quality of the images obtained and make this type of research even more accurate and, as a result, more widespread,” Anastasia Rakova noted.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a highly accurate diagnostic method for examining the fetus, abdominal cavity and pelvis of a pregnant woman.
The absence of ionizing radiation, high contrast and spatial resolution make it possible to use MRI as an important additional method for assessing various pathological conditions of a woman and fetus.
When the doctor has questions during the ultrasound, he can refer the pregnant patient to an MRI scan to clarify the diagnosis. However, few medical organizations can currently conduct such an examination.
To set up the scanning protocol, doctors and X-ray technicians often resort to the help of pregnant volunteer patients. The procedure does not harm either the mother or the fetus, but the woman has to stay in the scanner for quite a long time not in the most comfortable position. In addition, spontaneous fetal movements and the mother’s breathing cause interference in the images obtained and significantly reduce the informative value of the study.
“Our task was to create a phantom that would give the same picture on the MRI images as when scanning a pregnant woman. Our scientists experimentally selected materials whose signal intensity is identical to the internal organs of the fetus, mainly gel formulations. Thus, we obtained an imitation of the brain, muscle tissue, lungs, liver, stomach and bladder of the fetus. Then, using volumetric printing, we created a case that repeats the anatomy of the uterus and fetus at the 21st week of pregnancy, and filled it with the specified compositions. We plan to add the possibility of motor activity to the development, since during the study the fetus is not always in a stationary state,” said Yuri Vasiliev, chief freelance specialist in radiation and instrumental diagnostics of the Moscow Department of Health, director of the Moscow Center for Diagnostics and Telemedicine.
The test object was developed by researchers at the Center for Diagnostics and Telemedicine of the Moscow Department of Health. The phantom can be used to train doctors and X-ray technicians, evaluate and verify equipment standards in daily clinical practice, and develop new scanning protocols.
The Center for Diagnostics and Telemedicine is a leading scientific and practical organization in the structure of the Moscow Department of Health. It has become a scientific base for the creation and implementation of advanced solutions for radiation and instrumental diagnostics into clinical practice. The center’s developments, including phantoms and medical simulators, as well as educational courses help train doctors, X-ray technicians and young specialists. The center’s staff has prepared more than 800 scientific materials and educational programs.
The project corresponds to the goals and objectives of the national Healthcare project and is aimed at improving the quality and accessibility of medical care to residents of Moscow.
Moscow scientists have developed Russia’s first phantom for fetal MRI
Moscow scientists have developed the first fetal phantom in Russia to adjust the technology of magnetic resonance scanning of pregnant women. This was told by Anastasia Rakova, Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Social Development.
Phantoms are products that mimic organs, tissues and parts of the human body, necessary for practicing various medical processes. The new development will reduce the time of the study and ensure its widespread use as an additional method of diagnosing pregnant women.
“Today in Moscow, such an informative research method as MRI for diagnosing fetal malformations is not used as often as it could be. Its use limits, among other things, the complexity of configuring scanning protocols. According to statistics, there is a need for this method, since in some cases it is MRI that can provide the most important information not only for pregnancy management, but also for the possible planning of various intrauterine surgical interventions. Moscow scientists have developed a fetal phantom that allows you to customize and refine the scanning technology during diagnostics. This will improve the quality of the images obtained and make this type of research even more accurate and, as a result, more widespread,” Anastasia Rakova noted.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a highly accurate diagnostic method for examining the fetus, abdominal cavity and pelvis of a pregnant woman.
The absence of ionizing radiation, high contrast and spatial resolution make it possible to use MRI as an important additional method for assessing various pathological conditions of a woman and fetus.
When the doctor has questions during the ultrasound, he can refer the pregnant patient to an MRI scan to clarify the diagnosis. However, few medical organizations can currently conduct such an examination.
To set up the scanning protocol, doctors and X-ray technicians often resort to the help of pregnant volunteer patients. The procedure does not harm either the mother or the fetus, but the woman has to stay in the scanner for quite a long time not in the most comfortable position. In addition, spontaneous fetal movements and the mother’s breathing cause interference in the images obtained and significantly reduce the informative value of the study.
“Our task was to create a phantom that would give the same picture on the MRI images as when scanning a pregnant woman. Our scientists experimentally selected materials whose signal intensity is identical to the internal organs of the fetus, mainly gel formulations. Thus, we obtained an imitation of the brain, muscle tissue, lungs, liver, stomach and bladder of the fetus. Then, using volumetric printing, we created a case that repeats the anatomy of the uterus and fetus at the 21st week of pregnancy, and filled it with the specified compositions. We plan to add the possibility of motor activity to the development, since during the study the fetus is not always in a stationary state,” said Yuri Vasiliev, chief freelance specialist in radiation and instrumental diagnostics of the Moscow Department of Health, director of the Moscow Center for Diagnostics and Telemedicine.
The test object was developed by researchers at the Center for Diagnostics and Telemedicine of the Moscow Department of Health. The phantom can be used to train doctors and X-ray technicians, evaluate and verify equipment standards in daily clinical practice, and develop new scanning protocols.
The Center for Diagnostics and Telemedicine is a leading scientific and practical organization in the structure of the Moscow Department of Health. It has become a scientific base for the creation and implementation of advanced solutions for radiation and instrumental diagnostics into clinical practice. The center’s developments, including phantoms and medical simulators, as well as educational courses help train doctors, X-ray technicians and young specialists. The center’s staff has prepared more than 800 scientific materials and educational programs.
The project corresponds to the goals and objectives of the national Healthcare project and is aimed at improving the quality and accessibility of medical care to residents of Moscow.
Sincerely, the press service of the Center for Diagnostics and Telemedicine DZM
