Latest Technological Advancement in Diagnostic Radiology

Published on: 2018/07/20

Dr. Saket Rupramka, All India Institute of Medical Sciences

Abstract

Radiology is the use of medical images to diagnose disease within the body which helps in the proper treatment of disease. There are several ways used to diagnose diseases such as X-ray, ultrasound, computed tomography (CT), positron emission tomography (PET), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Interest Category

Healthcare, Radiology, Clinical Diagnosis

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Diagnostic Radiology

Radiology is the branch of medicine that uses X-rays or radioactive material for diagnosis and treatment of diseases. There are two divisions under it- diagnostic radiology and interventional radiology.

Advances In Diagnostic Radiology

Technological advancements have paved the way for tremendous progress in the field of radiology. Listed below are the new radiology technologies currently available:

Imaging Tests in place of Exploratory Surgery – Progress made in imaging has caused the decline of invasive surgeries by about 95% in the last 15 years.

Reduction is radiation – Use of safety measures like lead aprons, better patient positioning, and stillness can minimize exposure to radiation as well as reduce the requirement for repeated scans.

Ultrasound– Developing countries have greatly benefitted from this technology as it is safe and affordable.

Remote Viewing Systems – New technology helps physicians to send or receive images and reports from all over the world. This reduces the rate of mortality in several cases, which are not easily avoidable otherwise.

CT Angiography – New CT angiograms perform the job of traditional machines in a very short duration of time, and thus saves patients’ time and also reduces the risk involved.

Digital Mammography – The results from scans can be shared instantly leading to faster diagnosis. These have also been found to be highly accurate in many cases.

PET Scans– A very helpful tool to detect the spread of cancer and also monitor chemotherapy.

Artificial Intelligence In Radiology

Advancements in Artificial intelligence or AI are shaping the future of radiology technology.. Many companies have foreseen the advantages of AI and will soon implement it in order to achieve cheaper and faster diagnoses.

The recent advances in radiology have all been technology-dependent. It is possible for machines to quickly analyze the huge quantity of data to highlight areas that may otherwise go unnoticed due to human error. The use of this technology will by no means make human involvement redundant. Radiology has been able to adapt to all technological innovations in the past and will do so in the future as well.

Trends In Radiology

One of the major trends in radiology today is the adoption of ‘paperless’ systems. Picture Archive and Communication System (PACS) and Radiology Information System (RIS) are the most promising advancements in radiology. PACs can be used as a storehouse of images which can be retrieved on demand anytime. It will help cut down on time spent on locating data and save a lot of time.

In future, PACs will be able to easily forward images to the referring physicians over remote viewing systems. Radiology will witness numerous changes in the race forward as artificial intelligence, wearables, the Internet of Things (IoT) and 3D printing facilitate technological advancements