What is Veriflux?

  • A SaaS platform designed to enhance quality assurance (QA) for MRI.

  • Includes a proprietary phantom to standardize and automate MRI scanner stability testing.

  • It is offered on a subscription basis with 1, 2, 3, and 5 year contracts.

  • Provides immediate Green light - Red light feedback

Overview

Our SaaS platform was developed based on the requirements needed by functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI). Indeed, fMRI by definition pushes an MRI scanner's hardware to the limits of its performance, whilst demanding exceptional stability in order to detect small changes in blood oxygenation levels. For over 18 years MRI system stability for fMRI has been monitored using the fBIRN fMRI quality assurance protocol,which specifies a phantom, imaging protocol and analysis algorithm to quantify performance.

Designed to fit within modern multi-channel MRI head coils, the VERIFLUX Phantom uses a proprietary, water-based, synthetic gel inside a HDPE spherical shell, resulting in a test object that meets the characteristics established by the fBIRN committee. It can be used in conjunction with the VERIFLUX SaaS, providing an easy-to-use, automated fBIRN stability analysis for dedicated management of quality assurance tests.

MRI Quality Assurance Goals

  • Describe the quality of acquired MRI data through the use of various metrics

    • Signal-to-noise Ratio (SNR):
      Calculated over a central region of interest (ROI) as the average signal summary value divided by the square root of the variance summary value divided by the number N of acquisition points.

    • Signal-to-Fluctuation-Noise Ratio (SFNR):
      Calculated as the average over a central ROI as the signal divided by the fluctuation noise, obtained as the standard deviation (SD) of the residuals, voxel by voxel, after detrending the original signal using a polynomial function

    • Radius of Decorrelation (RDC):
      Defined as a measure of the size of the ROI at which statistical independence of the voxels is lost.
  • Use the above metrics to monitor the long-term stability of the MRI scanner and its suitability for advanced brain imaging protocols
  • Enable between sites assessment of MRI data quality
EPI volume acquired at 3T
Susceptibility Weighted Image acquired at 3T

Case Study: VERIFLUX Uncovers Hidden MRI Issues at a Beta Test site

When an early beta test site commissioned a new MRI scanner with a 32-channel head coil, they expected nothing but the best in diagnostic capabilities.

On July 18 2024, Gold Standard Phantoms arrived at the site to demonstrate VERIFLUX. This innovative solution promised to enhance MRI quality assurance processes.

The results showed a poor Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) and Signal Fluctuation-to-Noise Ratio (SFNR), both significantly lower than what would be expected from a high-quality MRI system. Additionally, the Radius of Decorrelation (RDC) was alarmingly low.

These metrics were red flags, suggesting a potential problem with the newly installed head coil.

In stark contrast, the standard fMRI test performed on a volunteer that same afternoon showed no apparent issues. The discrepancy was puzzling, but it highlighted a crucial point: sometimes, what we don't see can be just as important as what we do.

As Carl Sagan famously said:

"Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence."

This situation perfectly exemplified the wisdom of those words. Intrigued by VERIFLUX's findings, the hospital staff decided to dig deeper. They called in an engineer to conduct a thorough Quality Assurance (QA) check on the 32-channel head coil. The results were conclusive:

The coil failed the QA check due to excessive noise, confirming VERIFLUX's initial assessment.

What makes this discovery even more remarkable is that the MRI manufacturer had conducted their own tests, which didn't indicate any need for coil replacement. Without VERIFLUX, this critical hardware issue might have gone undetected, potentially compromising patient diagnoses and treatment plans.

About the Veriflux Phantom

VERIFLUX phantom uses a synthetic polymer as a gelling agent that offers several advantages over the traditional agar/agarose fBIRN phantom. Being a natural product derived from seaweed, agar is subject to significant variation in gel properties and relaxation times from batch to batch.
Due to the high-temperature processing that agar requires, traditional fBIRN phantoms suffer from the presence of bubbles. In addition, agar is mechanically fragile and a growth medium for bacteria.

Our VERIFLUX gel:

  • Is practically bubble-free, due to our superior, room-temperature manufacturing process.
  • Has enhanced standardization of relaxation times  controlled by paramagnetic salts.
  • Is less prone to fracturing and more mechanically stable than agar due to its inherent elasticity.

Key Features

  1. Automated QA Testing:
    Provides immediate Green light - Red light feedback and a graph with scanning history upon DICOM image upload.

  2. Enhanced Accuracy:
    Utilizes a synthetic polymer gel phantom for reliable imaging, reducing bubbles and mechanical fragility.

  3. Cost-Effectiveness:
    Minimizes service interventions and downtime.

  4. Minimized Clinical scientist time:
    Enables to assess MRI QA in one simple step

  5. Compliance:
    Meets rigorous standards for accurate diagnosis and research.

  6. Full Detailed Analysis available on demand:
    VERIFLUX provides a fully detailed datasheet of the scan, on-demand using a set number of requests based on subscription model.

Unique Value Proposition

  • Standardization and Automation:
    • Ensures consistent and reliable MRI data.
    • Automates complex QA processes, saving time and resources.
  • Precision:
    • Guarantees high-quality imaging results.
    • Uses a proprietary bubble-free, mechanically stable gel phantom.
    • Physiologically matched relaxation times.
    • Use to assess temporal stability, SNR, SFNR, RDC, and other MRI performance metrics.
  • Ease of Use:
    • Simple integration with existing DICOM data.
    • User-friendly interface for quick adoption.

Veriflux Brochure

Pricing

Get a Quote
  • 1 Year (5% Discount)
  • 2 Years (15% Discount)
  • 3 Years (25% Discount)
  • 5 years (30% Discount)
  • Custom pricing available for large institutions with multiple MRI scanners.
  • Tailored solutions based on specific needs are also available on a case-to-case basis.
  • *Up to 5 MRI systems per account + 5% discount, Up to 10 MRI Systems + 8% discount
Introductory prices will be available for 8 more days!

Get a Quote

1A Parkway Rise
Sheffield, South Yorkshire
S9 4WQ, United Kingdom

More information

© Copyright 2024 | Gold Standard Phantoms | All Rights Reserved
Designed and Implemented by Cyberoid
linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram