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What to Consider Before Getting an MRI Installed

Dec 17, 2020 | Articles, MRI

Those new to the radiology field may be tasked with ordering a new MRI for installation—only to get the wrong specifications. This tends to happen with a lack of experience on what to prepare before finalizing a purchase decision for this kind of medical equipment. 

Deciding on the MRI for your facility requires a good understanding of your practice’s needs before installation, including the area required, expected upkeep over time (such as mechanical MRI coil repairs), and patient safety. To give you an idea, here are a few things to consider before placing the order for your facility’s MRI model:

 

Patient Safety

Your concern, first and foremost, should be the safety of your patient. Four-zone plans such as the one developed by the American College of Radiology can provide a safer facility for both patients and staff. These include the proper placement of waiting areas, changing rooms, and reception. 

 

Site Planning

Figuring out your MRI site is often more costly and more challenging to figure out than ordering the machine itself. Designating a room for your MRI is not enough since you need to shield the MRI from the perimeter around the standard 24 ft. X 30 ft. space that you’ve secured. 

Many things can affect your MRI’s image quality, including the power lines, traffic patterns, moving metal objects, and even elevators and escalators. As such, it’s best to get a specialist to help you plan out your purchase and installation!

 

The Impact of EMI and Vibration Effects 

MRI equipment has specification limits for vibration and electromagnetic interference (EMI) to ensure safe and proper use. The equipment provider can measure the appropriate levels and require plans and specifications on your end, including on-site measurements to determine siting feasibility. Physical vibration tests typically measure a frequency response from 0 to 200 Hz and reports on the vibration source. On the other hand, on-site EMI considers static, DC fluctuations, AC fields, and magnetic fields. These factors will determine how your shielding requirements should be configured. 

 

RF and Magnetic Shielding Requirements

Understanding the basic requirements and specifications, such as the RF and magnetic shielding requirements for your machine, is incredibly essential. Getting the right professional for this process is key to ensure that you secure your shielding requirements. 

By ensuring that the professional you’ve partnered with is an expert in MRI shielding, you’re guaranteeing the best possible images from your MRI. These shielding experts will know whether sound dampening or magnetic shielding is needed for your MRI to produce ideal images. 

Tests should be done before the machine’s design, which is after the room’s completion and installation of the MRI. Keep in mind as well that the type of magnetic resonance coil used in your MRI will determine the image quality, so ensuring that these components are in proper working order will ensure consistent results. 

 

Exterior Features

As mentioned above, finding a facility will be more difficult than purchasing the MRI itself. This is because exterior features can affect the results your machine makes—and if it’s even usable, to begin with! Consider as well the structural guidelines and HVAC requirements to support your MRI before committing to a facility.

 

Conclusion

While there are other factors to consider before sealing the deal on your MRI purchase, these are the key features that you need to keep in mind. Patient safety and the appropriate requirements of your facility should be cleared before deciding on which MRI to install. By doing so, you won’t risk spending money on this valuable medical equipment only to find out that your facility isn’t ready for it. 

Here at DirectMed Parts and Service, we are the most trusted and knowledgeable source for various medical imaging parts and services. Specializing in MRI and CT parts and coils, we deliver quality and efficiency to our partners on-site. Call us today to inquire about purchasing an MRI scanner for your facility!

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