Contact: Ellen Bank
843.792.2626
Aug. 16, 2002
CHARLESTON, SC -- Affectionately known
as “Big
Maggie,” MUSC’s new Philips 3T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
scanner provides crisper, more defined images. It is the only 3T scanner
in South Carolina and one of three Philips 3T scanners in the world. A
grand opening ceremony for the new facility housing the scanner will be
held August 16.
The 3T MRI scans can potentially
be performed in half the time, with
superior image quality, relative to those done with the 1.5T scanners
now being used in most medical centers, according to Tara Noone, M.D.,
director of MR imaging. “We plan initially to use the machine for
neurological applications, but we will soon expand applications to take
full advantage of the machine’s superior capabilities of diagnosing
conditions on the whole body and, ultimately, guiding treatment
procedures,” Noone said.
The improvements in image quality
give the machine the potential to
replace invasive procedures. The 3T has the capability to diagnose a
variety of tumors and, therefore, could replace surgical or needle
biopsies. In certain situations, it has the potential to be used in
place of catheterizations, invasive procedures which detect narrowing
or blockage of vessels, including the coronary arteries.
The speed and design of the machine
make it an ideal solution
for:
• The child needing sedation for a scan, since longer sedation entails
greater risk. The accommodating design puts children not requiring
sedation at ease since they can see and interact with their parents and
technicians in the scanning room.
• The patient with claustrophobic tendencies since the time in the
machine can be greatly reduced. Additionally, the flared design of the
machine makes it more comfortable for the claustrophobic patient.
• The patient requiring a procedure where he must hold his breath
during the scan. This provides patients with lung disorders a diagnostic
option they may not have had previously.
Although there was a $4 million cost
for the scanner and its
installation, it is anticipated that clinical scans and funded research
scans will generate sufficient revenue for the machine to pay for itself
within a few years. But the expense to the patient or insurance company
will be no different from that of the older scanner. This is in part
because the increased speed of the scanner will result in the
accommodation of more patients in a given time period.
"This scanner will provide our
patients with a technologically advanced
diagnostic tool" said MUSC President Ray Greenberg, MD, Ph.D. He also
noted that the 3T scanner would “help our researchers in their
pioneering work on brain performance in health and illness. Dr. Mark
George and his colleagues have conducted groundbreaking research, and
the new machine will greatly advance their capabilities. This is a
win-win situation – our patients will get the best possible care, and
our scientists will get the best possible research tools.”
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