Toshiba Medical Systems is highlighting a research collaboration just announced between St. Michael's Hospital and the University of Bristol in Bristol, U.K., that aims to improve survival rates of monochorionic twins by bringing about a better understanding of cardiac function and disease development. The study will use Toshiba's Aplio 500 ultrasound scanner.
The two-year effort will be funded by the Capella Foundation, which helps raise awareness of medical complications during pregnancy. Monochorionic twins share a placenta, which if untreated leads to fetal death in 90% of cases, Toshiba said. A research team of two fetal medicine consultants, two neonatal consultants, and general obstetrician, a radiologist, a radiographer, and a cardiac sonographer will investigate new techniques for functional cardiac assessment to better diagnose and identify treatment for the condition, according to the firm.
