MRI
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
- What is MRI and how does it work?
- What’s involved in having a scan?
- What equipment do we have?
What is a What is MRI and how does it work?
MRI stands for Magnetic Resonance Imaging. It is an advanced imaging technique that uses a combination of a strong magnetic field and radio waves to produce high resolution images of the body.
At Garran Medical Imaging we have a 3 Tesla (or 3T) MRI scanner. Tesla is the unit of measurement that quantifies the strength of the magnet. Many MRI scanners are only 1.5 Tesla (1.5T), our scanner has double the field strength and allows for increased image clarity and resolution and hence more confident diagnosis. Having a stronger magnetic field can also allow for shorter scan times for patients.
What’s involved in having a scan?
On arrival you will be asked a series of in-depth safety questions to make sure that it is safe for you to have your scan. It is important that these questions are answered correctly. Before you enter the MRI room, you will be changed into a gown and asked to remove all metallic objects. You will be positioned on the MRI table and some MRI coils will be placed around the part of the body to be imaged. The table will then slide into the MRI scanner and the test will begin.
The MRI can be noisy and you will be given headphones to help block out the noise. Our scanner has the ability to play music through the headphones, so you can bring some music with you to the MRI examination. During the scan it is important to stay very still as MRI scans are very susceptible to motion. Sometimes your scan may require an injection of gadolinium (contrast dye). Gadolinium is very safe and should not affect you once you leave the MRI department. MRI scan times are variable, our staff will let you know how long it will take at time of booking.
What equipment do we have?
Garran Medical Imaging uses the latest state-of-the-art Siemens MAGNETOM Skyra 3T (3 Tesla) Scanner -see our scanner below. This machine is state of the art, provides accurate and consistent images and has a large 70cm open bore making the procedure less claustrophobic.
What type of MRI scans can we do?
At Garran Medical Imaging we perform a large range of routine and specialized MRI procedures. We have of extensive MRI experience with all types of MRI scans. We specialise in musculoskeletal and body MRI. We push this technology to the limits of diagnosis to ensure the results are tailored specifically for your particular requirements.
We utilise advanced diagnostic tools, such as whole body diffusion imaging, which involves no ionising radiation and is proven to be less expensive and time consuming than PET and bone scan. It is an excellent tool in both diagnosis and assessment of treatment response.
We are passionate about MRI and want to provide you solutions using the best technology available.
Hodgkin’s lymphoma: left FDG-PET, right whole body diffusion MRI.