Emerging Techniques and Future Directions: Fast and Portable Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Fast MRI and portable MRI are emerging as promising technologies to improve the speed, efficiency, and availability of MR imaging. Fast MRI methods are increasingly being adopted to create screening protocols for the diagnosis and management of acute pathology in the emergency department. Faster imaging can facilitate timely diagnosis, reduce motion artifacts, and improve departmental MR operations. Point-of-care and portable MRI are emerging technologies that require radiologists to reenvision the role of MRI as a tool with greater accessibility, fewer siting constraints, and the ability to provide valuable diagnostic information at the bedside. Recently introduced commercially available pulse sequences and new MRI scanners are bringing these technologies closer to the patient's clinical setting, and we expect their use to only increase over the coming decade. This article provides an overview of these emerging technologies for emergency radiologists.