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October 14, 2009

New MRI system at Hamilton increases patient convenience, officials say

Submitted by Hamilton Medical Center

Dalton’s first outpatient, open bore, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system was recently installed at Hamilton Diagnostic Center. The system combines a larger opening with the ability to capture high-field, quality diagnostic images. The same type of magnet was recently installed at Hamilton Medical Center to serve inpatients and the emergency department.

“This system will increase our efficiency and patient convenience,” said Hamilton vice president Steve Pound. “The patient-friendly design of this magnet will accommodate larger patients and those with claustrophobia and will also reduce the need to repeat and interrupt exams.”

Since two-thirds of American adults are overweight, the health care industry is challenged to accommodate larger patients with imaging systems that were designed for people of average size.

“Patients too large to fit inside the bore of a high-field MRI previously had imaging studies done in open MRI systems with low-field magnets which limited the diagnostic usefulness of the images obtained,” said Stan Casteel, director of imaging services. “The field strength of a magnet is measured in units called Tesla — the higher the number, the higher the field strength. Generally speaking, the higher the field strength, the better the quality images produced. This new system will accommodate much larger patients without sacrificing image quality.”

The new Siemens Espree system at Hamilton Diagnostics features an opening of nearly 2.3 feet in diameter, allowing almost a foot of free space between a patient’s head and the magnet. The Espree also features the shortest 1.5 Tesla magnet available — approximately 4 feet long.

“Claustrophobia in patients presents another challenge for MRI systems,” said Hamilton radiologist Dr. E.C. Strickland. “Patients can be sedated, but this adds to their inconvenience and the time it takes to schedule and perform an exam. Because it is so short, more than 60 percent of exams can be completed with the patient’s head outside the bore, helping to ease claustrophobia.”

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