Skip to contents
In This Issue:
For patients who are claustrophobic, the thought of lying still in a cylinder tube for one hour is beyond unnerving. The solution—BWH’s new open Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machine, which will be available for patient use in mid-August.
On Friday, July 20, MRI Services hosted an open house to acclimate technicians, physicians and other staff to the new open MRI and its surrounding console area. A ribbon cutting ceremony, led by Clare Tempany, MD and Ferenc Jolesz, MD, was part of the event.
BWH’s open MRI is one of the hospital’s nine state-of-the-art MRI machines. The unique capabilities of three-dimensional MRI—MR angiography and spectroscopy—complement the two-dimensional imaging offered through CT scans and x-rays.
According to Tempany, open MRI is not an option for all patient cases. “For certain diagnostic tests, the open MRI is very appropriate. For other, more complex cases which call for more sophisticated imaging, the conventional closed MRI is the preferred diagnostic tool,” said Tempany.
Beginning August 13, appointments for the open MRI can be made from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday. In addition to clinical applications, the new MRI will also be used for research projects led by Ferenc Jolesz, MD.