The University Imaging Center in Baltimore has a solution for people who could not undergo medical resonance imaging because of their physical size or claustrophobic.
The newly arrived MRI machine, a 1.5T Magnetrom Espree, is the only one available in a university setting in Baltimore.
Reuben Mezrich, chair of the department of radiology at the University Maryland Medical Center, said, “We went for a machine that would offer something you can?t get from a hospital and that would maintain high quality.”
The Magnetom Espree differs from a conventional MRI machine. The new “Open Bore” system makes the tube about six inches wider than a conventional one and a half foot tube, giving patients more physical room. The actual magnet is also about two feet shorter from back to front and has a much higher magnetic field strength. This allows the tube to be shorter and more comfortable for patients while providing higher quality images.
Mezrich said between 10 percent and 25 percent of patients needing an MRI suffer from obesity or claustrophobia.
Sally Bishop, a radiology technician at the University Imaging Center, said that an MRI can take pictures of soft tissue without the danger of radiation and can be used to see spinal cords, bone marrow and fluids in three dimensional living color. Bishop is pleased with the new machine.
“Everyone loves it,” she said. “It?s faster, more open and everything works beautifully.”
In the past, Mezurch sedated patients withclaustrophobia or used mirrors to make the tube feel more open. Using sedatives can be a health risk to the patient and those with extreme claustrophobia are not comforted by mirrors, he said. The other option was an “open” MRI system with has open sides, but the design decreases the strength of the magnet and the resolution of images.
Mezrich recounted how an obese patient in need of an MRI years ago was forced to go on a strict diet before physically being able to fit in the machine. Once he lost enough weight, Mezrich said the MRI revealed a tumor that could have been better treated if found weeks earlier.
With two-thirds of American adults suffering from obesity and the reality of claustrophobia, this machine could be a valuable asset, and for those who could have a conventional MRI this is just another option.
