MRCAT brain
by Philips Medical Systems MR Finland
· Based in Finland →
— Unleash the real power of MR simulation for brain radiotherapy planning.
Contact vendor
Regulatory Status Disclosed
Overview
MRCAT brain is an AI-powered software application designed as an add-on for Philips Ingenia, Ingenia Ambition, and Ingenia Elition MR systems. It enables MR-only radiotherapy treatment planning for primary and metastatic brain tumor patients, eliminating the need for a separate CT scan. The tool utilizes artificial intelligence (AI) and deep learning algorithms to automatically generate synthetic CT (pseudo CT) images with continuous Hounsfield units directly from a single, fast 3D T1W mDIXON MR sequence. This provides detailed anatomical information for contouring and accurate attenuation maps for dose calculations, streamlining the workflow, reducing patient burden, and minimizing uncertainties associated with CT-MRI registration.
Reviewed by Pouyan Golshani, MD — Interventional Radiologist
Key Features
- MR-only radiotherapy planning for brain tumors
- AI/Deep learning-based synthetic CT (pseudo CT) generation from MRI
- Eliminates the need for separate CT scans in planning
- Provides detailed anatomical information for contouring
- Generates attenuation maps for dose calculations
- Single, fast 3D T1W mDIXON MR sequence acquisition
- Fast computation of continuous Hounsfield units on MR console
- DICOM-CT conform dataset export to treatment planning systems
- Supports accurate patient positioning at the linac
- Compatible with Philips Ingenia, Ingenia Ambition, and Ingenia Elition MR systems
Use Cases
- Radiotherapy treatment planning for primary brain tumors
- Radiotherapy treatment planning for metastatic brain tumors
- MR-only simulation for brain radiotherapy workflows
- Generating CT-like density information from MRI for dose calculations
- Streamlining radiotherapy planning by eliminating CT-MRI registration
- Enhancing patient comfort and productivity by reducing scan time
Details
| Category | Oncology AI, Radiology & Imaging AI |
| Pricing | Contact vendor — Not publicly available; contact Philips sales for details. |
| Deployment | Software add-on integrated with Philips Ingenia MR systems (on-premise). |
| Compliance | |
| BAA Available | Unknown AI-estimated |
| HIPAA Compliant | Unknown AI-estimated |
| FDA Status |
1 AI-estimated MRCAT brain received FDA 510(k) clearance (K193109) on January 24, 2020, as a Class II medical device. It is cleared for radiation attenuation estimation purposes in photon external beam radiotherapy treatment planning for primary and metastatic brain tumor patients. |
| Integrations | |
| EHR | Not specified |
| Specialties | Oncology, Radiology |
What the Web Says
Philips MRCAT Brain is an AI-enabled clinical application that allows for MRI to be used as the primary imaging modality for radiotherapy planning of primary and metastatic brain tumors, eliminating the need for a separate CT scan. This single-modality approach aims to streamline workflows, reduce patient burden, and improve the accuracy of treatment planning by providing both detailed anatomical information and CT-like density data from one MR scan.
Overall: PositiveStrengths
- Eliminates the need for CT scans in radiotherapy planning, simplifying workflows and reducing patient burden.
- Provides excellent soft-tissue contrast for tumor delineation and CT-like density information for dose calculations from a single MR scan.
- Reduces uncertainties and complexity by removing the need for arduous and error-prone CT-MRI registration.
- Utilizes AI for fast computation of continuous Hounsfield units directly on the MR console, aiding in accurate treatment planning.
- Short scan times (a few minutes) promote patient comfort and can boost productivity.
- Demonstrated clinical feasibility and dosimetric accuracy, with dose differences remaining within clinically acceptable ranges.
Limitations
- In a small percentage of cases (3.2%), MRCAT failed to generate acceptable synthetic CT images, requiring careful checking.
- Some studies suggest that further case selection and MR-compatible immobilization devices may be required for optimal use.
- One study noted larger differences in volume between planning and synthetic CT images for organs at risk (OARs), particularly the bladder.
- Potential for side effects from radiation therapy itself, as discussed in general forums about brain radiation.
Based on reviews from: Reddit, Philips.com, UF Radiation Oncology, PubMed Central (PMC)
Last updated: 2026-07-19
Ratings & Reviews
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Press & Coverage
University of Florida Health Cancer Center
UF Radiation Oncology First to Employ AI-Assisted MRCAT Brain Cancer Treatment Planning Technology in the U.S.
The University of Florida Department of Radiation Oncology became the first in the U.S. to utilize Philips' AI-assisted MRCAT Brain for radiotherapy planning of primary and metastatic brain tumors, following its FDA approval in January 2020. This technology allows for MRI-only treatment planning, eliminating the need for CT scans and reducing uncertainties associated with image fusion.
2021-08
Philips
MRI boosts treatment quality and patient experience in radiotherapy - Philips
This article highlights how Philips' MRCAT Brain and MRCAT Pelvis are used for MR-only radiotherapy planning, offering superior soft tissue contrast for tumor delineation and density information for dose calculations. It details the clinical commissioning and dosimetric accuracy validation of MRCAT, emphasizing benefits for patient experience and workflow efficiency.
2025-03
Philips
Philips launches IntelliSpace Radiation Oncology to accelerate time from patient referral to the start of treatment
Philips announced the expansion of its MR-only radiotherapy simulation portfolio with MRCAT brain at ESTRO 2019. This AI-powered solution is designed to automatically generate CT-like density information from a single, fast MR scan, streamlining the radiotherapy planning process.
2019-04
FDA
510(k) Premarket Notification - K193109
This regulatory document from the FDA details the 510(k) clearance for Philips' MRCAT Brain, a software add-on for Ingenia MR systems. It specifies the intended use for radiotherapy treatment planning for primary and metastatic brain tumor patients, providing tissue properties for radiation attenuation estimation.
2020-01
Journal of Applied Clinical Medical Physics (via PMC)
Advancements in synthetic CT generation from MRI: A review of techniques, and trends in radiation therapy planning - PMC
This peer-reviewed article reviews advancements in synthetic CT generation from MRI for radiation therapy planning, mentioning Philips' MRCAT Brain as a commercially available solution. It highlights the benefits of MRI-only workflows, such as reduced radiation exposure and improved soft-tissue contrast for target delineation.
2024-09
Financial Post
Philips unveils latest CT and MR innovations in radiation therapy, advancing precision cancer care at ASTRO 2025
Philips announced new innovations at ASTRO 2025, including BlueSeal RT, a helium-free MR system with AI-powered SmartSpeed Precise, which incorporates MRCAT (including MRCAT Brain) for enhanced simulation confidence and simplified MR-only imaging workflows in radiation therapy.
2025-09
Physics and Imaging in Radiation Oncology (via PMC)
Clinical validation of using a commercial synthetic-computed tomography solution for brain MRI-only radiotherapy treatment planning - PMC
This peer-reviewed study clinically validates the MRCAT Brain solution for MRI-only radiotherapy treatment planning, demonstrating its dosimetric accuracy and submillimeter and sub-degree accuracy in patient setup verification for a large cohort of 94 patients.
2024-06
Philips
AI-enabled solutions | Philips
Philips highlights MRCAT Brain and MRCAT Head and Neck as AI-enabled software options for their Ingenia MR-Radiation Therapy simulation platform. These solutions enable MR-based radiotherapy planning for tumors in the head, neck, and brain by generating CT-like density information using AI models.
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Videos
Product demos, reviews, and walkthroughs for MRCAT brain.
Office Hours with David Pudwill - UCSD Regulatory Submissions for Medical Devices on June 29, 2024
Mr. Regulatory
Frequently Asked Questions
MRCAT Brain utilizes AI to generate synthetic CT images with continuous Hounsfield units directly from a single MR scan. This eliminates the need for a separate CT scan and the associated CT-MRI registration, simplifying the workflow and reducing potential errors in radiotherapy planning for brain tumors.
MRCAT Brain has received FDA 510(k) clearance for radiotherapy treatment planning of primary and metastatic brain tumors. This approval indicates its safety and effectiveness for its intended use, but institutions must still ensure compliance with data privacy regulations like HIPAA when handling patient MRI data.
Other commercial solutions for generating synthetic CT from MRI using AI include syngovia RT (Siemens Healthineers), MRI Planner (Spectronic Medical), and MR-Box (Therapanacea). These aim to achieve similar MR-only workflows, reducing registration errors and patient burden compared to traditional CT-MRI fusion.
Specific pricing for MRCAT Brain is not publicly disclosed, as it is a Philips clinical application. Costs would typically involve the initial software license, integration with existing MR systems, and ongoing service and support agreements, which can be discussed with Philips sales.
While generally accurate, studies have shown that a small percentage of cases (e.g., 4.3% in one study) might exhibit significant dosimetric errors in synthetic CTs, necessitating a comprehensive QA program. Additionally, MR-invisible immobilization devices may require modeling in the treatment planning system for accurate dose calculation.
Validation studies have shown that MRCAT-based dose plans are equivalent to CT-based plans, with high gamma passing rates for various radiotherapy techniques like IMRT/VMAT and SRS. However, some studies note that areas with high Hounsfield Unit deviation can be found at bony interfaces.
MRCAT Brain simplifies the workflow by eliminating the need for CT-MRI registration, reducing uncertainties and complexity. It also improves patient comfort and productivity due to shorter scan times and the single-scan advantage.
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| Last Verified: 2026-04-19 | First Added: 2026-04-19