CaliberMRI, Inc. and RSNA’s QIBA Announce First Conformance Certification for Diffusion-Weighted MRI
BOULDER, Colo. (Nov. 7, 2022) — The Radiological Society of North America's (RSNA) Quantitative Imaging Biomarkers Alliance (QIBA) and CaliberMRI, an industry leader in standardization of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), announced today the successful grant of Conformance Certification to NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHS GGC). RSNA/QIBA has partnered with CaliberMRI to help standardize quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (qMRI) to improve patient care.
"We are thrilled with our partnership with RSNA/QIBA to help advance our mission to bring standardization to MRI and improve repeatability and reproducibility based on SI-traceable quantitative measurement," said Bill Hollander, CEO of CaliberMRI. "RSNA/QIBA's high standards for Conformance Certification ensure that compliant sites have achieved expertise in acquiring quantitative MRI data."
MRI plays an important role in diagnosis, treatment planning, and treatment monitoring of cancer, as well as neurodegenerative, and other diseases. MRI holds many advantages: it offers superior soft-tissue imaging, is non-invasive, and does not expose the patient to ionizing radiation. MRI scans are often interpreted in a qualitative manner, not incorporating the important quantitative data acquired during imaging. RSNA/QIBA's mission is to "transform patient care by making radiology a more quantitative science." Through this effort, CaliberMRI and RSNA/QIBA have partnered to ensure participating sites meet the exacting criteria required by QIBA's diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) Profile, which provides best practices for DWI application for trialists.
To achieve QIBA Conformance, participating institutions must satisfy QIBA Conformance for the DWI Profile, which utilizes CaliberMRI's "QIBA" Diffusion Phantom Model 128 and companion qCal-MR software.
NHS GGC's deputy head of MRI physics, John McLean, Ph.D., and his team, led by M.Sc. candidate Bethany Alward, worked closely with CaliberMRI to achieve QIBA Conformance on NHS GGC's radiotherapy planning Siemens Sola MR system at the Beaton Oncology Centre and on NHS GGC Research and Innovation's Siemens Prisma MR system.
"The process demands attention to detail and provides us with certainty that our MRI scanner data is matched to a ground truth. CaliberMRI's phantom and companion qCal-MR software allows us to check scanner performance on a regular basis," Dr. McLean said. "Knowing the robust process that RSNA/QIBA engaged in to release the QIBA Conformance program gives us confidence in the integrated performance of our scanners, coils and personnel."
To learn more about the CaliberMRI's RSNA/QIBA Conformance Certification process, please visit https://www.rsna.org/research/quantitative-imaging-biomarkers-alliance/qiba-conformance-certification-services.
About CaliberMRI: CaliberMRI is on a mission to improve the standard of care through standardization of MRI. MRI is a powerful tool for screening, diagnosis and treatment monitoring in the fields of cancer, diabetes, stroke, MS, neurodegenerative and other diseases. CaliberMRI produces integrated phantom/software platforms to ensure quantitative MRI measurements are accurate, repeatable and reproducible. CaliberMRI's products, developed in conjunction with the National Institutes of Standards and Technology (NIST), RSNA, and the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM), improve quantitative imaging results, reduce clinical trial costs, and, ultimately, advance the standard of care. CaliberMRI works with researchers, hospitals, and clinicians around the world. Based in Boulder, Colorado, CaliberMRI has a growing global distributor network. For more information, visit us at www.qmri.com and follow us on LinkedIn.
About RSNA/QIBA: RSNA/QIBA is committed to transforming patient care by making radiology a more quantitative science. In 2007, RSNA organized the Quantitative Imaging Biomarkers Alliance® (QIBA) to unite researchers, healthcare professionals and industry to advance quantitative imaging and the use of imaging biomarkers in clinical trials and clinical practice. The initiative includes: (a) collaboration to identify needs, barriers and solutions to create consistent, reliable, valid and achievable quantitative imaging results across imaging platforms, clinical sites, and time; and (b) accelerating development and adoption of hardware and software standards to achieve accurate and reproducible quantitative results from imaging methods. QIBA projects and activities have been funded in whole or in part with Federal funds from the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, under Contract Nos. HHSN268201000050C, HHSN268201300071C and HHSN268201500021C.
About NHS GGC: NHS's MRI Physics group's mission is to "ensure the safe and effective installation and use of MRI scanning for both clinical and research purposes. We form multi-disciplinary teams that exploit MRI technology to advance knowledge and to improve patient care." NHS GGC MRI Physics Group's work on QIBA Conformance can be found here.
Media Contact:
RSNA
Linda Brooks
630-590-7738
lbrooks@rsna.org
Media Contact:
CaliberMRI
Callie Weiant
cweiant@qmri.com