Mayo Clinic and GE HealthCare have come together under a joint initiative, the Strategic Collaboration for Innovation in Medical Imaging and Theranostics, where they will form research and development programs to accelerate the production and clinical introduction of new, promising applications.

“One specific gap is delivering this kind of transformative and innovative medical imaging and theranostics to historically underserved populations in a cost-effective manner,” Dr. Kimberly Amrami, vice chair of Mayo Clinic’s department of radiology, told HCB News. "We are committed to working together to find ways to optimize not only innovation but access."

Through its R&D programs, scientists, technology developers, and clinicians at Mayo Clinic and GE HealthCare will work together to address these challenges in multiple fields including radiology, cardiology, oncology, radiation oncology, vascular, neurology, nuclear medicine, and neurology. The programs will center around four key areas:

• Accelerating development and clinical introduction of advanced MR solutions and techniques by using AI to enhance the quality, pace, and accuracy of exams, from initial orders to the report


• Refining radioisotope production to increase access to precise imaging and dosimetry of highly targeted theranostic agents


• Improving automation and quantification to simplify and make diagnostic and interventional ultrasound faster and more accessible


• Integrating multimodal data, AI, and digital health technologies to streamline clinical operations and personalize diagnostics and therapy for better imaging experiences

Amrami says the most important objective of this research is to demonstrate, and raise awareness around, the clinical need for these solutions.

“The determination of what constitutes quality care and how to generalize that is an important question that has to be addressed through investigation and reliable data in terms of the impact of medical imaging and theranostics on improving patient outcomes,” she said.

GE HealthCare has embarked on a number of collaborations in both these areas. In August, it teamed up with Imaging Biometrics, a subsidiary of IQ-AI, agreeing to use its MR Smart Subscription solution to distribute IB Neuro and IB Delta T1 applications to more MR providers. These applications use MR brain imaging data to create quantitative, proprietary mapped images that streamline scan acquisitions, processing, and readings.

It also is working with St. Joseph’s Health Care London and the Lawson Health Research Institute to form Canada’s first Centre of Excellence for Molecular Imaging and Theranostics.

Mayo Clinic announced that it would pilot Google Cloud’s generative AI technology to personalize care, including in medical imaging. It also partnered with venture capital firm Eclipse in 2022 to create Nucleus RadioPharma, a company developing technologies that modernize clinical development, production, and supply chains to make radiopharmaceuticals more accessible.

Work in the R&D programs will be carried out at Mayo Clinic’s campus in Rochester, Minnesota.

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