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OPEN MRI
Mercy
Medical Center Redding’s
newmagnetic resonance imaging
(MRI) machine is now open—in
more than one sense of the word.
It’s not just ready for use by pa-
tients. It uses improved technology
known as open MRI.
Focusedoncomfort
When patients have an MRI scan,
they lie on a table that moves into
a cylinder-shaped tube during the
exam. In traditional MRI units it
was quite an enclosed space—and
for some people, that experience
was nerve-wracking.
“People, even when they just saw
the older scanners, worried about
claustrophobia,” says Steve Buhler,
Director of Imaging for the Dignity
Health North State Service Area.
The newmachine comes with
a wider opening, making it less
confining. “It helps to defeat
that psychological concern that
people have about being closed
in,” Buhler says. “It’s much more
comfortable.” And the more open
design makes it easier to scan
larger patients.
This machine is also the first
fixed-site diagnostic MRI at the
facility.
For more than 10 years, Mercy
Medical Center Redding has
offered MRI in a mobile van,
explains Buhler. But the new open
MRI machine is located in the hos-
pital building, which helps provide
patients with an improved overall
experience.
Dedicated toquality care
Open MRIs have existed for some
time. But the quality of the older
images was sometimes lacking.
“Those issues have been resolved
with this latest technology,” says
Buhler. Now, like traditional MRI,
the open machine is very useful
for diagnosing soft tissue injuries,
cancer, and problems within the
How it works
Imaging tests such as X-rays and
CT scans rely on radiation. But
an MRI is different. It uses a
magnetic field, radio waves, and a
computer.
While undergoing an MRI,
magnets align hydrogen atoms
in your body. The atoms are then
displaced by radio waves. When
the waves are stopped, the atoms
send off signals as they move back
into position. The computer reads
these signals and uses them to
create detailed images.
NewMRI machine aids diagnoses, improves patient experience
Mercy Medical Center
Redding’s new open
MRI machine offers
some of the latest
imaging technology
available. Its spacious
design allows patients
to be more comfortable
and feel less confined.
nervous and musculoskeletal
systems.
Of course, it isn’t just technology
that makesMRI at MercyMedical
Center Redding unique. The hu-
man touch hospital staff provide is
just as important.
“Part of our mission is to treat
people with kindness and respect,”
says Buhler. “That’s something we
think about every day with every
patient. We take the humankind-
ness approach very seriously.”
Here’s looking at you
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