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.

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8 surprising things people have done in MRI scanners—from opera to magic

MRI might be best used as a critical diagnostic tool for radiologists, but outside of the specialty, researchers have used the powerful machines to image patients’ brains while they do things from play video games to sing opera.

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MR-Link receives development grant from NIH

A coin-sized gadget that would allow for simultaneous MR imaging has received a $228,325 Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Montreal's MRI simulator is helping kids avoid sedation

North America’s first MRI simulator—a downsized model of enclosed scanners clinicians are used to—has been installed in a Montreal hospital, and officials are saying it’s already helping kids wind down and skip anesthesia ahead of their own procedures.

CMS finalizes decision to cover MRIs for patients with implantable cardiac devices

CMS published a decision memo this week finalizing its proposal to cover MRI scans for Medicare beneficiaries with implantable cardiac devices such as pacemakers and cardioverter defibrillators.

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Breast MRIs are on the rise—but not among women who need them most

Communities are failing to follow guidelines that ensure women at an increased risk for breast cancer receive additional MRI screening, according to research from the University of New Mexico’s School of Medicine.

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Civic official says ‘overburdened staff’ at least partly responsible for MRI-related death in India

A 32-year-old man died on Jan. 27 after being sucked into an MRI chamber at BYL Nair Hospital in Mumbai, India. The civic investigation into the man’s death has not yet released its official report, but a senior official with knowledge of the investigation said at least part of the blame goes to “overburdened staff and facilities at hospitals.”

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New cardiac MRI process can improve results, ease restrictions on patients

A team of researchers from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles have developed a new method for cardiac MRI that can be complete in just 90 seconds. The technique also allows patients to breathe during testing, with promises of more accurate, more reliable results.

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How a Michigan practice cut its MRI wait times from 101 days to 5

As radiology practices grapple with the specialist shortages and drawn-out wait times that accompany a nationwide push for more specialized MRI, one Michigan practice is successfully solving both problems.

Around the web

The nuclear imaging isotope shortage of molybdenum-99 may be over now that the sidelined reactor is restarting. ASNC's president says PET and new SPECT technologies helped cardiac imaging labs better weather the storm.

CMS has more than doubled the CCTA payment rate from $175 to $357.13. The move, expected to have a significant impact on the utilization of cardiac CT, received immediate praise from imaging specialists.

The all-in-one Omni Legend PET/CT scanner is now being manufactured in a new production facility in Waukesha, Wisconsin.