Recently, the Radiology Department at Cincinnati Children’s added another MRI scanner to the family! MRI scanners use very powerful magnets to create images of the body. This new scanner has several differences compared to our other scanners. It’s twice as strong, and it’s 3,000 times stronger than most kitchen magnets. The more powerful magnet in the new scanner allows us to take pictures with greater detail. This is helpful in certain patients, especially when we are taking pictures of the bones and muscles or the brain.
Another advantage of the new MRI scanner is its larger size. When you have an MRI scan, you lay on a table that moves into a large tube. Some people feel claustrophobic when they are in the tube. The larger size of our new magnet helps some patients feel less confined and more comfortable during their imaging test.
Whether your child’s imaging study is performed on our new scanner or one of our nine other MRI machines, you can expect your child will be imaged using state-of-the-art equipment when we perform the study to answer the specific question you and your doctor are asking.
Article contributed by Tony Dandino RT(MR).
Chris was the former Manager of Quality Assurance and Compliance for the Cincinnati Children’s Department of Radiology. He has a passion and dedication towards lowering radiation doses in pediatric imaging. Chris is married with two beautiful young daughters and loves spending every minute of his free time taking them to the zoo, museum, and any amusement park within driving distance.
