Cook, IU Open Interventional MRI Center
Cook Medical and Indiana University opened a center in Indianapolis focused on image-guided cardiac and interventional procedures.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Healthcare
Cook Medical and Indiana University opened the IU iMRI/CMR Center of Excellence at the Medical Imaging Research Institute within the Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held with participation from Sean Chambers, Pete Polverini, Pete Yonkman, Pamela Whitten, Rohan Dharmakumar, and David Rosenberg.
Why it matters
The center combines Cook Medical's device engineering expertise with Indiana University's clinical and imaging expertise to develop procedures under evaluation. Its work is intended to build the clinical evidence and procedural standards needed before broader adoption.
The collaboration is structured as a five-year agreement between Cook Medical and the Indiana University Launch Accelerator for Biosciences, announced in 2025. Results from the center's research have not yet been reported, and the timeline for findings is not specified.
The players
Cook Medical
A medical device company whose engineering expertise is combined with Indiana University's clinical and imaging expertise at the new center.
Indiana University School of Medicine
The academic medical school in Indianapolis that hosts the Medical Imaging Research Institute where the center is located.
The details
Research at the center spans cardiac and pediatric procedures, image-guided needle biopsies, localized drug delivery, medical device and imaging integration, and workforce training. All studies are conducted through institutional review board-approved human research.
Timeline
2025: Five-year Cook Medical and IU Launch Accelerator agreement announced.
March 2026: Cook Medical named Indiana University an Interventional MRI Center of Excellence.
November 2, 2026: IU iMRI/CMR Center of Excellence officially opened with a ribbon-cutting.
Healthcare Landscape
The center extends the Medical Imaging Research Institute's imaging work toward interventional procedures that are still being evaluated before broader clinical use. Its IRB-approved studies are designed to establish the evidence and standards needed before any wider adoption.
The center's work is aimed at refining image-guided procedures, but these procedures remain under study. Patients are not affected by the research until its clinical evidence is established and the procedures are adopted.
The takeaway
Research centers that pair device engineers with clinicians test procedures in controlled human studies before they reach routine care. Readers tracking medical technology should watch for published clinical results from programs like this one.
Further reading
Explore more Indianapolis healthcare coverage to see how local medical research is developing.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WBIW.
