Toshiba to Study Time-SLIP Noncontrast MRA Technology

November 29, 2010—Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc. (Tustin, CA) announced a multicenter trial that aims to establish the clinical value of noncontrast magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) using the company's Time-SLIP technology as a diagnostic tool for renal artery stenosis. The study will be a prospective registry of consecutive subjects undergoing medically necessary noncontrast renal MRA examinations to evaluate renal artery stenosis, comparing the Time-SLIP with other diagnostic imaging technology including digital subtraction x-ray angiography.

Timothy Albert, MD, will be the study's principal investigator. Centers in the United States, Europe, and Asia will participate in the trial, which will begin in early 2011 and run for 6 to 12 months thereafter. At least 75 patients will participate, and at least five systems will be used globally, including both the Toshiba 1.5T Vantage Atlas and the Vantage Titan systems.

According to Toshiba, the Time-SLIP noncontrast MRA technique can be applied to many regions of the body and is useful for evaluating hemodynamic velocity, functional assessments, and visualization of vascular structures. It reveals regions excited as bright or black blood and can be especially useful for imaging complex vessels flowing in multiple directions, such as renal arteries, the portal venous system, and pulmonary arteries.

Toshiba stated that it has developed advanced noncontrast MRA techniques to improve imaging safety for all patients, including those with kidney issues. Noncontrast techniques eliminate the risks associated with gadolinium-based contrast agents such as the rare and sometimes fatal skin disease nephrogenic systemic fibrosis or nephrogenic fibrosing dermopathy.