Multiple Innovative Medical Imaging Technologies Unveiled in China, Enabling Earlier Intervention in Major Diseases

MultipleInnovative HealthcareImaging Technology Debuts in China, Expected to Shift Major Disease Prevention and Control Upstream

Author: Qian Tongxin

For the diagnosis and treatment of diseases, the first step is to "see" the condition. Only by clearly visualizing the lesion can a "precise strike" be delivered. Imaging technology plays a pivotal role in advancing precision therapy within the healthcare sector. At the 4th China International Import Expo (hereinafter referred to as the "CIIE"), several multinational medical imaging equipment manufacturers, including GE Healthcare, Siemens Healthineers, Accuray, Elekta, and Canon, showcased the latest breakthroughs from multiple globally pioneering research initiatives.

Multiple Imaging Technologies Break Through Limits

Siemens Healthineers showcased its photon-counting CT technology, which recently received U.S. FDA approval, at its CIIE exhibition booth. The FDA stated that this technology marks a major breakthrough in CT imaging in over a decade, providing an entirely new imaging modality.

Photon-counting CT employs novel detector materials, revolutionizing conventional imaging modalities. By directly counting each incident X-ray photon to generate images, it eliminates photon loss, image noise, and energy mixing, precisely identifies energy signals, and thereby faithfully restores the intrinsic material information.

Siemens Healthineers also made the global simultaneous debut of an ultra-high-end PET/CT imaging system. PET/CT is a novel imaging device that seamlessly integrates two imaging modalities: PET (functional metabolic imaging) and CT (anatomical structural imaging). In an exclusive interview with Yicai, Wang Hao, President of Siemens Healthineers Greater China, stated: "PET-CT is a crucial tool for physicians in the examination and diagnosis of oncological diseases. However, it previously faced two limitations: relatively slow imaging acquisition and suboptimal image clarity. Today, both of these limitations have been overcome. We now only need 15 seconds to complete a whole-body PET-CT scan."

GE Healthcare also debuted its early screening PET solution for Alzheimer's disease (AD) at the CIIE. Leveraging a next-generation standardized research platform, the solution enables fully automated production of GMP-compliant PET tracers. Used in conjunction with PET/CT imaging for diagnosis, it has currently received U.S. FDA approval. By first administering the tracer via injection followed by a brain scan to quantify amyloid-beta (Aβ) protein concentration for disease assessment, the solution can effectively identify early-stage AD patients, differentiating those with AD from individuals with early cognitive impairment who have not progressed to the disease, thereby informing earlier diagnostic and therapeutic decision-making.

Besides CT, there is a growing clinical demand for ultrasound devices equipped with advanced imaging capabilities. Addressing the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of increasingly prevalent cardiovascular diseases including valvular heart disease and coronary artery disease, GE Healthcare has launched a cardiac ultrasound product that integrates a series of quantitative and intelligent clinical diagnostic tools; high-frame-rate 4D imaging technology provides a precise basis for observing valvular structures and assessing the location and severity of lesions; multi-modal image fusion technology combines X-ray imaging, CT data, and 4D ultrasound data to leverage the strengths of each modality, enabling more accurate guidance during valvular interventional procedures.

Dai Ying, Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer of GE Healthcare China, stated in an exclusive interview with Yicai reporters: “Through a series of high-end precision diagnostic and therapeutic modalities, it helps to shift the prevention and control of major diseases to an earlier stage, thereby improving data management and strengthening clinical decision-making.”

Enhance Precision Treatment Capabilities for Diseases

The growing sophistication of optical coherence tomography (OCT) technology has also advanced diagnosis and treatment in the cardiovascular field, particularly as a novel imaging modality for diagnosing coronary artery lesions that addresses numerous clinical challenges. Unlike conventional coronary angiography, which relies on two-dimensional planar imaging, OCT technology overcomes spatial and resolution limitations, enabling interventionalists to better characterize the pathological features of coronary artery disease and facilitating personalized treatment tailored to individual patient characteristics.

At this CIIE, Abbott debuted a brand-new OCT software platform for the first time, featuring real-time coronary angiography fusion technology. By synchronizing and displaying OCT and angiographic images simultaneously, it assists operators in achieving more precise stent positioning and assessment, facilitates rapid diagnosis, optimizes pre-procedural treatment strategies, improves procedural success rates, and reduces post-procedural complications. Abbott also showcased, for the first time in China, the next-generation, globally cutting-edge OCT intelligent imaging and functional assessment platform, leveraging artificial intelligence to provide physicians withPrecise Informationand guidance, effectively optimize treatment outcomes.

Japanese imaging giant Canon is also continuously expanding its presence in the healthcare sector. At this year's CIIE, Canon unveiled for the first time an OCT-S1 ultra-widefield blood flow optical coherence tomography scanner, alongside a 3T MRI system equipped with high-definition MR imaging technology, a high-definition angiography system with a pixel acquisition accuracy of up to 76 micrometers, and ultrasound equipment featuring multiple cutting-edge technologies such as ultra-microvascular blood flow imaging and acoustic attenuation imaging.

Yue Changhai, Executive Vice President of Canon Medical Systems (China), told Yicai reporters: “Advancements in medical imaging technology have indeed driven improvements in diagnostic capabilities. Companies should empower our healthcare system with more advanced technologies to better serve patients.”

Liu Jianbin, Vice President and Marketing Director for China at Elekta, a Swedish radiotherapy technology company, told a Yicai reporter: "Precision diagnosis is a crucial component of radiation therapy. Doctors must accurately locate the specific site of a lesion to provide cancer patients with an optimal treatment plan. To achieve precision radiotherapy, the first step is to 'see it clearly.' There are three conventional imaging modalities: X-rays, ultrasound, and MRI, which serve as the first step toward precision treatment. Secondly, a sufficiently powerful 'weapon' is required to eradicate the tumor. For radiation oncologists, these include ion beams, gamma rays, protons, heavy ions, neutrons, and so on."

In the field of tumor diagnosis, radiotherapy plays a pivotal role as one of the primary treatments for malignant tumors. To address challenges such as the persistently high incidence of cancer and the continuously growing demand for treatment, Elekta unveiled a new medical linear accelerator and an intelligent radiotherapy solution at the CIIE. Through the synergistic integration of hardware and software, these innovations enable more precise and efficient treatments.

Currently, China’s cancer burden remains substantial, with patients facing significant unmet needs. Findings from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), an agency under the World Health Organization, indicate that there were 19.29 million new cancer cases globally in 2020. Of these, China accounted for 4.57 million new cases, representing 23.7% of the global total. China’s journey to combat cancer remains long and arduous.

Global radiotherapy technology company Accuray also unveiled a Synchrony-tracking helical tomotherapy radiotherapy system and a next-generation radiosurgery system at the China International Import Expo (CIIE).Robot"CyberKnife", forming a comprehensive solution that integrates cutting-edge technology and precision oncology treatment.

Managing Editor: Li Tong