Bracco Imaging and Duke University School of Medicine in Durham, N.C., have formed a research collaboration to improve the care of those getting CT scans.

The effort will partly focus on developing software able to automatically and predictively estimate iodine enhancement, radiation dose, and image quality for individual patients getting CT imaging with contrast.

“We look forward to this collaboration, in which we will seek to identify new protocols for CT imaging that will hopefully be shown to improve the care of patients,” Dr. Ehsan Samei, professor of Radiology and Medical Physics at Duke University School of Medicine, and the lead scientist on the collaboration, said in a statement, adding that hopes are that the research “will introduce a mechanism by which we hope to demonstrate and validate improvements in image quality and safety in contrast enhanced CT examinations through advanced modeling of contrast perfusion through the human body.”
Noting that Duke is a world-recognized leader in imaging technology, Bracco CEO Fulvio Renoldi Bracco said he and his organization “strongly believe that Duke’s expertise in advanced imaging applications will contribute to transforming patient care by keeping the interest of the patient in the forefront of advanced diagnostic CT imaging.”

Milan, Italy-based, diagnostic imaging agent maker Bracco was in the news in May, when it formed a collaboration with Shanghai Pharmaceuticals Holding to focus on using the Bracco microbubbles technology platform for drug R&D targeting oncology, infectious and cardiovascular diseases.

"China is a growing force in healthcare innovation and today we start a new phase for our shared commitment to deliver better patient care" said Renoldi in a statement at the time, noting that, "the joint effort with Shanghai Pharmaceuticals further reinforces our long-term partnership in China.”

In October, 2017, Bracco made additional business news when it picked up SurgVision in a deal that expanded its presence into the field of fluorescence imaging-guided surgery.

The agreement brings resources to help SurgVision develop a real-time fluorescence image-guided surgery platform that brings together a targeted imaging agent with a device that enables efficient visualization of tumors during cancer surgery.

"With the acquisition of SurgVision, one of the most advanced companies in a very promising field, we intend to address a relevant, unmet medical need for oncology patients who have to undergo tumor removal surgery," said Renoldi in a statement at that time. "SurgVision platform expands our imaging solutions for health care professionals in oncology, and reinforces our long-lasting commitment to patient care.”

Duke University School of Medicine made news in June, when its radiology department joined the Radiology Partners Research Institute (RPRI) – the research affiliation between Radiology Partners and academic medical institutions.

“We are thrilled to be a part of RPRI,” said Dr. Jenny Hoang, director of head and neck imaging in the radiology department at Duke, in a statement at the time. “Our ongoing work with Radiology Partners and RPRI is already demonstrating the tremendous potential of academic and private practice collaboration to advance our field and the quality of care for patients.”

RPRI was founded, said Dr. Jay Bronner, chief medical officer of Radiology Partners and director of RPRI, to create a “clinical innovation laboratory.”

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