Open MRI Technology Combines Advanced Imaging with Patient Comfort

A new open magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system is unique in that it is an open system that incorporates the capabilities of high-field strength imaging.

Although open MRI systems have been in use since the early 1990s, most physicians prefer the higher resolution of diagnostic images obtained in high-field strength MRI systems. St. Mary Medical Center (Langhorne, PA, USA) has invested more than US$3 million to add a new, high-field truly open MRI system. St. Mary Imaging/Langhorne will be the first clinical site in the United States to provide this exciting new technology. The Oasis is a state-of-the-art scanner that provides excellent image quality in an open system environment preferred by patients for its comfort and convenience. The system was developed by Hitachi Medical Systems (Twinsburg, OH, USA).

High-field strength MRI systems typically have an enclosed circle design within which a magnet rotates, and for many patients, this tunnel-like experience can be source of anxiety and discomfort. Open MRI systems were designed to alleviate feelings of claustrophobia and increase patient comfort, yet until now, could not quite match the level of image quality offered by a high-field system.

The high-field open MRI is a breakthrough in sophisticated technology that effectively accommodates patient comfort and produces high-quality diagnostic information for every region of the body. The wide-table design also better accommodates obese, pediatric, and limited-mobility patients, including the elderly or infirm. Moreover, the high-field open unit provides fast scan times and motion-compensation technology for clearer imaging. A variety of specialized coils are used for advanced detailed studies of the brain, spine, shoulders, legs, breast, neurovascular, and abdomen.

This new high-field open MRI technology offers patients and physicians the best of both worlds, noted Dr. Daniel Cohen, St. Mary medical director of MRI. "As technology has continued to progress, the differences in image quality and patient comfort have been minimized. We can now offer patients the security of a spacious design for added comfort during scans while simultaneously providing the most accurate scan results to aid physicians in their diagnoses,” Dr. Cohen said.

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Hitachi Medical Systems