Veterinary radiology update: mixing modalities with fusion

A quick stroll through the Fetch dvm360 conference exhibit hall will reveal that there's no shortage of new technology in the veterinary field. One advancement in the realm of radiology that has speaker Maria Evola, DVM, MPH, DACVR, excited is linking existing modalities.

It's called fusion and, as Dr. Evola describes it, the innovation combines an already-acquired cross-sectional modality, such as a computed tomography (CT) scan, with another real-time modality like ultrasound.

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"As I move my probe and see my ultrasound images, I can also see my CT images moving with me," she says.

Pretty fancy, right? But how does it work? Dr. Evola says a magnet on the instrument's probe is communicating with a magnetic field in the room, "functioning kind of like GPS," as she puts it.

"It enables us to use these complementary modalities and use the best of both worlds," she says.

Watch the video for more.

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