CASPER — Much of the recent publicity surrounding artificial intelligence has been about sounding alarm bells of doom.
But one Wyoming business is putting artificial intelligence to a much less gloomy use.
McGinley Clinic, an orthopedic medical center in Casper, has developed many of its own medical innovations and has patents from all over the world. It has brought the first AI-empowered MRI machine to the Cowboy State.
The machine, imported from Germany, is now the largest MRI in Wyoming as far as bore space for accommodating patients.
But this MRI machine still requires a human operator, and that operator is Candy Leggett.
She’s pleased with the AI on this new machine because it’s going to allow a less strong magnet, which is more comfortable and safer for patients.
“This new AI software they’ve come out with is called Boost,” she explained. “And it actually takes the image quality and boosts that image to something that is absolutely spectacular for that particular magnet size.
“It’s like going from a regular old-school-type television to like a 4K television, and it’s all from the benefit of that AI software.”
Using less magnet strength is next-level better for patients, Legett said.
“The higher the magnet gets, it can trigger those peripheral nerves and sometimes it can actually make the patient a little dizzy,” she said. “But in the past, lesser magnetic power has meant degradation to your pictures as well. But now we’re able to use less magnet strength and still get an even better image.”
The new machine works a little faster than previous machines, Legett added, which is wonderful because MRIs are typically among the slowest of imaging methods. Patients talk about MRIs as if they’re getting into a coffin, and the length of time they stay there can be unnerving to some.
“Having AI to increase those scan speeds helps with patient satisfaction, and the care and comfort — all those things are important for our patients as well,” she said. “Patient care is obviously the No. 1 thing, the No. 1 goal for our clinic.”
Getting the MRI In Place
Patients from around the state have already been going to the clinic to use the new machine, which had to be set in place by removing one of the clinic’s walls, and then gently setting the huge equipment inside using a big and very noticeable crane.
The spectacle attracted a lot of attention, Leggett said, a little before the clinic was ready to announce their new MRI to Wyoming.
“This is very new to the market, and the magnet for this was only FDA-approved within the last couple of years,” Leggett said. “They’re starting to pop up quickly across the country now, but at the time we signed our paperwork for it, this was one of only 20 to 25 of them across the country.”
Legett said AI is becoming popular in many areas of health care, including translation programs for reports, as well as assistance in proofreading forms to ensure the correct verbiage has been put in the right place on any given form.
“Billing is another big thing that AI is being used for,” Leggett said. “It helps ensure that everything is filled out correctly and that you’re getting the codes that you need.”
McGinley clinic has also been working to pioneer a virtual reality headset that functions a lot like Star Trek in the movies, which could one day incorporate AI applications as well.
The headset broadcasts an ultrasound image up into space, allowing Dr. Joseph McGinley to see the image no matter where he’s standing. He can also access that image by pinching his fingers in the air to move stuff around or, if preferred, pin the image to a particular location.
“He doesn’t have to constantly turn his head and look back at the actual ultrasound screen,” Legett said. “It allows a lot more accuracy in that manner, because he doesn’t have to take his eyes off of the patient for the procedures he’s doing.”
This is also more hygienic, because McGinley doesn’t ever have to touch a screen or a key to manipulate the image. He’s just touching air to move things around.
McGinley worked with the University of Wyoming to develop the software for this particular application, and it’s among his latest patents.
Candy Leggett talks about a push pin map that shows where The McGinley Clinic's patients have come from. (Renee Jean, Cowboy State Daily) 
The wall of innovation at The McGinley Clinic, which has more than 135 patents from around the world for various, cutting edge medical devices. (Renee Jean, Cowboy State Daily) 
The Wall of Innovation wraps around one wall into this hallway. This is not even all of the patents. Some have yet to be hung, as the clinic has started to run out of room to display all of its patents. (Renee Jean, Cowboy State Daily) 
This virtual reality headset allows Dr. Joseph McGinley to project ultrasound images wherever he wants them, a la Star Trek. It's one of many patented inventions that the clinic owns. (Renee Jean, Cowboy State Daily)
The Wall Of Innovation
There’s a wall at the McGinley Clinic displaying all the patents that McGinley has developed. It has more than 135 patents at this point, and the clinic has begun to run out of wall space for them all.
While the MRI’s AI application wasn’t developed by McGinley Clinic, discussions are already underway to dream up new and beneficial uses for AI there. They have every intention of putting new AI patents onto their wall of innovation.
“Our MRI is an absolute perfect example of how AI can be extremely beneficial,” Leggett said. “I believe that it definitely has its place. It’s not going away. And, absolutely, if we use it correctly and intelligently, it can benefit people.”
Legett has seen where AI software is already helping radiologists make sense of readings more quickly, and she believes that those kinds of things are just the beginning of opportunities AI offers to make medicine better.
“The McGinley Clinic has always been on the forefront of innovation when it comes to medical treatments,” Legett said. “We are always leading for and shooting for being on the forefront of medicine.
“We are changing the future of medicine within our clinic, just with some of the treatments we do, and the different procedures we offer.”
That focus on innovation is one of the reasons more than 65% of McGinley clinic’s patient population comes from outside of Wyoming.
“A lot of other doctors elsewhere are just, unfortunately, stuck in the past,” she said. “Technology is moving toward upgrading, changing, developing, doing things in more beneficial ways, but health care has really stayed behind the times.”
Hip and knee replacements, for example, are largely done the same way they always have been, even though there’s developing evidence that a simple stem cell treatment can often prevent such costly $90,000 procedures altogether. A stem cell treatment can cost as little as $7,000 and, when successful, can delay or prevent the need for such surgeries, which are themselves not always successful, altogether.
“There’s a mentality out there that what works works, don’t break it kind of thing,” Leggett said. “But here we have a let’s, if there’s a better way, then let’s find it. Let’s do it kind of mentality, and a lot of patients are really looking for that.”
Contact Renee Jean at renee@cowboystatedaily.com
Renée Jean can be reached at renee@cowboystatedaily.com.
