GE HealthCare and the University of California, San Francisco's (UCSF) radiology and biomedical imaging department have launched a collaborative research initiative for medical imaging, known as the ‘Care Innovation Hub’.
The initiative aims to tackle clinical challenges in areas such as medical imaging accessibility, non-invasive diagnosis, and precision oncology. The research activities will be conducted at UCSF facilities in the San Francisco Bay Area.
The company noted that the hub seeks to focus on developing and implementing new technologies within clinical settings to progress disease diagnosis and treatment, optimise hospital operations, and promote equitable healthcare access.
Built upon a longstanding relationship between UCSF and GE HealthCare, the collaboration aims to combine the university’s clinical and research capabilities in areas such as brain health, neurodegenerative conditions, and oncology, along with GE HealthCare's research and product development experience.
One of the hub's primary objectives is to focus on medical imaging services. Both entities claim to work on automated imaging techniques, such as real-time adaptive patient-specific magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), to enhance ‘accessibility’, ensuring consistent, quality, and tailored care.
In the sector of brain health and neurodegenerative conditions, the collaboration seeks to deepen the understanding of brain functions through ‘advanced’ imaging. The team is investigating the connections between vascular disease, white matter injury, and Alzheimer's, to envisage the ‘efficacy’ of brain health interventions.
GE HealthCare research and scientific affairs global vice-president Erin Angel said: “We’re honoured to collaborate with UCSF on this important work, which has the potential to significantly improve patient outcomes and address life-threatening diseases like Alzheimer’s disease and prostate cancer worldwide.”
The announcement follows last month's launch of Sonic DL for 3D by GE HealthCare, designed to expedite MRI scans across various clinical applications.
