REGION Making an MRI scan in the Albert Schweitzer hospital can now be a much more pleasant experience than before. The new scanner of the type Philips 1.5T MR ability Attraction namely has a special extra option, called Ambient Experience. Thanks to soothing lighting, pleasant film images and information about the progress of the research, fewer people than before will dread making a scan.
Having to lie still for a long time while slowly sliding through the tunnel of the scanner is no fun for many people. Head of department Cor Ritmeester: ,, An MRI examination takes quite a long time, between 20 and 40 minutes. Patients do not always have a good sense of time and some feel trapped. Sometimes people even have to undergo mild sedation for an MRI scan. This will probably be needed less often now. The research in the large, noisy device is also much less intimidating for children. ” The first reactions are very positive, the lab technicians notice.
Two MRI scanners are present at the Dordwijk location, the new one replacing one that was at the end of its lifespan. “This new scanner has been further developed, more user-friendly and faster than the previous one,” says Ritmeester. “But in principle he does the same thing that the previous one did well: to visualize tissues and organs in detail using a strong magnetic field and radio waves. However, it is a world of difference for the patient, thanks to the Ambient Experience and thanks to a larger tunnel opening of not 60, but 70 centimeters in diameter. ”
The patient can choose – or the lab technician chooses the patient – a theme such as balloon flight, space travel, ocean or panda. As soon as the patient slides into the tunnel, images around that theme can be seen through a mirror located in front of the patient’s face. The mirror reflects a film that is displayed on a screen. Ritmeester: ,, You can no longer see that you are entering the tunnel. Whatever the patient sees, through a receding bar, is the time remaining on the exam. If you know what to expect, it is easier to stay still. ”
The other MRI scanner at the Dordwijk location does not yet have the novelty. The new experience is therefore not yet open to everyone, because the MRI scanners have different magnetic strengths and not every type of examination can be performed on both. The MRI scanner at the Zwijndrecht location also does not have the special option. An MRI scan is often made to examine the brain, knee, spinal cord and nerves, the abdominal organs and the heart. About 15,000 MRI scans are made every year in the Albert Schweitzer hospital.
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