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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FDA Clears MRI-Safe Pacemaker

The Food and Drug Administration recently approved the first pacemaker that can safely be used in certain types of MRI exams.

CT and MRI: Regional Variations in Utilization and Reimbursement

Provided by Regents Health Resources

  
Regents Health Resources was formed in 1996 to assist hospitals and physicians in the development and management of their medical-imaging and oncology services. The consultancy has served more than 500 clients nationwide with a diverse range of services, from strategic planning and operational assessments

New Combo PET-MRI Debuts in Missouri Hospital

A hospital in Missouri is said to be the first in the United States to utilize a new imaging device that simultaneously performs PET and MRI scans, according to researchers at Washington University in St. Louis.

The Business Case for Pediatric Imaging: Kids’ MRI at Lourdes Hospital

Sponsored by Hitachi Healthcare Americas

Lourdes Hospital in Binghamton, New York, knew that it was losing pediatric MRI patients to a local imaging center with a 0.6T open MRI system, but it wasn’t until the imaging department started collecting data and tracking how many phone calls a day it received inquiring about open MRI that it decided to install an open system alongside its 1.5T

Researchers Use MRI to Map Basic Brain Function

New ways of using MR imaging to map the basic wiring of the brain are being developed by teams of researchers at various institutions, according to an article in the Wall Street Journal.

MRI Can Improve Robotic-Assisted Prostate Surgery

Using MRI before surgery to treat prostate cancer can reduce complications such as incontinence and erectile dysfunction, according to researchers at University of California at Los Angeles.

MRI Can Spot Dyslexia Before Children Begin Learning to Read

Signs of dyslexia can show up on an MRI scan even before a child learns to read, according to researchers at Children’s Hospital Boston.

Next Generation MRI for Arms and Legs Reduces Stress

At Loyola Center for Health outside Chicago, Illinois, patients are treated with a powerful new MRI machine specifically designed for scanning the arms and legs, according to a report Monday in the Chicago Tribune.

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Global shortage of nuclear imaging isotopes may be over

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.

Cardiovascular Business
‘A huge win’: CMS significantly increases Medicare payments for cardiac CT

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.

Cardiovascular Business
GE HealthCare moves PET/CT scanner production to United States

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