Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the gold standard imaging modality for soft tissues. It produces detail cross-sectional images of soft tissue and bone anatomy, including muscles, tendons, ligaments, brain and organs, without the use of ionizing radiation. In addition to orthopedic imaging, MRI is also used for heart, brain and breast. MRI uses gadolinium contrast in many exams to highlight tissues and blood vessels, which enhances images and offers better diagnostic quality. It can also be used in conjunction with PET scans. How does MRI work? MR creates images by using powerful magnets to polarize hydrogen atoms in water (the body is made of of more than 80% water) so they face in one direction. A radiofrequency pulse is then used to ping these atoms, causing them to wobble, or resonate. The MRI coils detect this and computers can assemble images from the signals. Basic MRI scans will focus on the resonance of fat and water in two different sequences, which highlight and contrast different features in the anatomy.

Vermont hospital to spend more than $3M on improved MRI services

State officials have agreed to a $3.19 million upgrade to the MRI services offered at Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital in St. Johnsbury, Vermont.

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Caltech’s new machine learning algorithm predicts IQ from fMRI

Scientists at the California Institute of Technology can now assess a person’s intelligence with nothing more than a brain scan and an AI algorithm, university officials announced this summer.

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Australian hospital opens $21M MRI suite to support complex neurosurgery

Australia’s Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital has opened the doors on a $21-million MRI renovation after more than a year of construction, government officials announced this week.

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Safety update: What we know about performing MR exams on patients with implantable cardiac devices

Recent research has shown MRIs are safe for patients with implantable cardiac devices such as pacemakers and cardioverter defibrillators. However, according to a recent analysis published by Radiology, there’s still a lot of information for radiologists, cardiologists and electrophysiologists to know about this important topic

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High-strength MRI could release toxic mercury from silver dental fillings

High-strength MRI may release mercury, a known toxin, from amalgam fillings in teeth, according to a new study published in Radiology.

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University of Minnesota invests $2M to cut MRI wait times

Around $2 million has been funneled into the University of Minnesota’s latest healthcare project: a third MRI machine that’s expected to cut waiting times for patients who typically wait up to three weeks for a scan.

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Patient sent home because he was ‘too large’ for MRI machine sues hospital for $7M

An Oregon patient who was sent home after he failed to fit in an MRI machine is suing a local hospital for $7 million, citing medical negligence as the reason he was left with permanent paraplegia, the Portland Business Journal reported this week.

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New York patient discharges gun in MRI room, charged with reckless endangerment

A Long Island, New York, man was arrested last month after a handgun he possessed fired and injured him while in an MRI room, according to a June 20 report from the LI Herald.