140 years after the light bulb, Edison shines again at GE

I’m on the #RSNA18 show floor this week, surrounded by the future of medical imaging and energized by what I’m seeing and hearing from our team and radiologists. I’m also struck by the juxtaposition of our company’s history and future that is so apparent during trade show like this one. Nearly 140 years ago, inventor and GE forefather Thomas Edison changed the world with his patent for an electric lamp with a carbon filament – a light bulb moment if there ever was one!

Today, GE Healthcare is continuing that tradition of innovation by unveiling our new medical imaging intelligence platform – named after Edison himself and comprised of AI, apps and algorithms and smart devices. [Read more here]

Our Edison platform already boasts 50+ AI and analytics apps – everything from a new interventional liver simulation software that maps injection trajectories, to a new computed tomography system that employs deep learning for image reconstruction. We also have an X-ray solution that detects and prioritizes collapsed lungs in patients, and deep-learning MRI software designed to increase neuro imaging consistency and productivity. Edison also enables the upgrade of existing devices with advanced intelligent functions - just like your iPhone – and acts as a “digital thread” for our existing AI partnerships with clinical pioneers like Oxford, UC-San Francisco, Partners Healthcare, Stanford and others.

These collaborations, and the Edison platform itself, are all focused on “elevating radiology.” For us, “elevating radiology” means creating customer-focused technologies and solutions that empower radiologists with vital information that help guide diagnosis and speed treatment, drive better outcomes and improve patient satisfaction. In fact, we’re so keen on this concept of “elevating radiology” that it’s our theme for the RSNA this more. [Read more about our RSNA offerings on the press kit here]

Thomas Edison is famously quoted as saying, “There is a way to do it better – find it.” For GE Healthcare, this is more than a clever quote. It’s our daily goal: elevating radiology to find ways to do health care better, for clinicians and their patients around the world.