Many of us seem to get hooked on hospital based TV soaps and, somehow, accept all the terminology spoken by the cast members; things like – “rush him for an MRI stat” – even though we have little idea what the mumbo jumbo actually means. So, what is an MRI and are they all of a high field type?
MRI
The initials stand for magnetic resonance imaging (sometimes, NMRI; standing for nuclear magnetic resonance imaging; or, MRT for magnetic resonance tomography). They are all medical imaging techniques used by radiologist to take pictures of internal slices (tomographics) of the human body to enable doctors to investigate a person’s anatomy and check the functioning of their body in both health and disease.
MRI scanners combine strong magnetic fields and radio waves to form the images that are displayed on a screen and recorded for the doctors to analyze. MRI is widely used for medical diagnosis and therapy because, unlike x-rays, it does not expose the patient to ionizing radiation which can damage human DNA.
The Basics
The magnetic part is provided by an electromagnet whereby the magnetic field is generated by the flow of electricity through a wire – turn off the electric current and the magnetic field disappears. The term “high field” relates to the strength of the magnetic field.
For MRI scans, a strong, uniform, magnetic field is required; field strength is measured in “tesla”. The majority of MRI scanners operate at 1.5T (tesla) although systems can be available across the range 0.2 to 7T. Clinical electromagnets, of the type used for MRI High Field In Riverhead NY, are superconducting magnets cooled by liquid helium. These machines are of the tunnel type; but, lower field strength scanners of an open type are available for claustrophobic patients.
What To Expect
You will have to pass into the MRI tunnel and lie there perfectly still for around 20 to 30 minutes. You do not have to totally undress; but there must not be any metallic items on your person – this includes metallic implants (if you have these, you cannot undergo an MRI High Field In Riverhead NY). For some tests, you may need a chemical injection to provide markers which will show up in the images taken. You will not be exposed to any potentially dangerous radiation; so, it’s rather a matter of lie back and enjoy.
You do not have to be hospitalized to undergo an examination by MRI High Field In Riverhead NY; you can have one performed at the North Fork Radiology facility.