New Diagnostic Tool for Biliary Disease Being Assessed for NHS

Oxford, UK, Sep 12 2019. Funded by Innovate UK and in partnership with Dr Palak Trivedi at University of Birmingham and University Hospitals Birmingham, and Oxford Academic Health Science Network, Perspectum has initiated a study to establish the clinical utility of MRCP+, a new quantitative imaging tool for biliary disease.

MRCP is considered the ‘gold standard’ for diagnosing primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), a chronic and potentially serious bile duct disease. However, MRCP images can be blurry and difficult to interpret and lack quantitative results; monitoring changes in bile ducts over time is also a challenge. MRCP+ uses advanced image processing techniques to enhance MRCP scans, creating three-dimensional models of the biliary tree. MRCP+ also enables accurate measurement of bile duct widths which may help to detect changes associated with disease.

This study will seek to understand the role of MRCP+ in improving care of PSC patients in the UK, whilst potentially reducing costs for the NHS.

Dr Palak Trivedi, commented on this project: “Medical imaging technology has the potential to accelerate patient treatment and reduce the requirement for invasive and uncomfortable diagnostic aids. I look forward to seeing whether this technology matches or enhances my diagnosis of biliary-related abnormalities and hope that it proves valuable to the NHS,”

Dr Rajarshi Banerjee, CEO of Perspectum, shared his views on the project: “The rise in liver disease and biliary-related problems is putting an enormous strain on the NHS. The question of how to accelerate diagnosis, while improving accuracy, is becoming increasingly important. This project could transform diagnostic processes within Britain’s public healthcare system—the implementation of MRCP+ will unlock the uptake of other innovative medical technologies.”