The Hand Clinic in Amsterdam will start operating the very first WristView^TM Hand and Wrist MRI system in Europe by the end of this year. The clinic, which specializes in hand and wrist complaints, has purchased the WristView system from Israel-based life science company, Aspect Imaging (www.aspectimaging.com), the manufacturer of WristView.

 

With the WristView, a powerful and compact MRI, patients with hand and wrist complaints can be quickly diagnosed in a patient-friendly and comfortable manner. The advantages include:

1. The patient is seated while being examined and only the affected hand or wrist is placed in the MRI system. This offers a more comfortable, non-claustrophobic scanning experience, as opposed to a full-body MRI system scan. While the scan takes place, the patient can chat, make a phone call, or watch television, for example. Metallic objects in close proximity to the device no longer present a problem.
2. Waiting times are much shorter. Conventional, full-body MRI facilities often have overloaded schedules. The WristView, in contrast, is readily available at the point of care, and specifically intended for patients with hand and wrist complaints.
3. The medical treatment time is shorter. The preliminary screening for imaging requires only five minutes.
4. The WristView is much quieter than a conventional MRI, producing less than 75 decibels.
5. The required infrastructure is minimal. The WristView, a high-field, 1 Tesla, non-cryogen MRI system, fits in a regular doctor’s office and does not require complicated helium refrigeration or a specially-shielded RF facility

The WristView MRI system is a game changer in healthcare management, enabling the transition from “fee for service” models of healthcare delivery, to “value added” care models, such as enhanced patient monitoring and rehabilitation practices.Annually, approximately 2 million Dutch citizens suffer from injuries to their hand or wrist. On average, people experience injuries to their hand or wrist twice in their lifetime, and a non-traumatic disorder at least once in their lifetime. These injuries can lead to absenteeism and thus represent a considerable cost to society. The direct and indirect costs due to hand and wrist complications are estimated at €600 million annually in the Netherlands alone. Costs of osteoarthritis and other degenerative diseases add to this tremendous sum.

Commenting on the purchase of Europe’s first WristView system, Dr. Monika Ritt-Fischer, director of The Hand Clinic says: “The placement of this compact MRI is a logical step in our long term goal of remaining a leader in the field of hand and wrist treatment. In collaboration with Aspect Imaging, in the short term, we’re aiming to also offer MRI for pediatric patients where claustrophobia is a concern. Up until now this couldn’t be done. With specialists from Amsterdam-based university medical centers, we’re teaming-up to explore the full potential of this new technology, enabling us to offer optimal treatment for our patients with hand and wrist complaints.”