Ambient scanners transform MRI experience
Undergoing a medical scan can be frightening and uncomfortable, especially when you have to lie still inside a narrow tube. Now a hospital in Knokke is among the centres using a new generation of open scanners that turn this stress into relaxation
Lie still, and relax
MRI – magnetic resonance imaging – is one of the commonly used techniques in the radiology department. Instead of using ionising radiation, as a CT scanner does and which can only be used in limited doses, an MRI uses magnetism to penetrate the body. With the help of an injected contrast fluid, a radiologist uses this scanner to light up particular parts of the internal physiology.
The appearance of an MRI scanner is well known. The patient lies on a movable table that slides into a narrow cylindrical tunnel, and, once in place, they must lie very still for almost an hour.
For many patients, this is a frightening experience. The enclosed space and the strange noises produced by the scanner can make for a very uncomfortable experience. So they start to wiggle, which destroys the quality of the images. Frequently, the entire process has to start all over.
So why not transform the time that a patient spends inside a scanner into a relaxing experience? That’s just what Philips, a world leader in medical imaging technology, has done. For its “ambient experience” programme, the multinational with Dutch roots has developed a new generation of patient-friendly scanners.
No tunnel effect
Philips’ solution consists of pleasant, relaxing images shown to the patient from the moment they enter the scanner’s tunnel until the end of the procedure.
“Patients can listen to music or other sounds through headphones,” explains Jo Bostyn, business manager at Philips Belux. “Thanks to the images and sounds, they are relaxed and lie still throughout the entire scanning procedure.”
Thanks to the images and sounds, patients are relaxed and lie still for the entire procedure
To date, Philips has installed 750 of these MRI scanners in hospitals around the world, at a cost of €2.6 million each. The AZ Gezondheidszorg Oostkust in Knokke, on the coast, is one of the few in Flanders that uses the technology.
“It’s common knowledge that an MRI scan can be frightening,” says Francis Vanneste, head of the radiology department in Knokke. “Especially for very young and elderly patients.”
In Vanneste’s department, the patient can choose from 10 light and sound themes by tapping on a screen. The desired theme is then created by a projection of animated slides. “Because of the specially designed LED lighting, they don’t experience the tunnel effect,” says Vanneste.
A big advantage of the new scanner is that children don’t need to be given tranquillisers to get them through the procedure. Vanneste: “In our previous scanner this was necessary for more than one-third of our young patients. Afterwards, they needed more than six hours to recover from the pills.”
Photo courtesy Philips Health Care
About the author
