A new state-of-the-art MRI scanner has been delivered to Forth Valley Royal Hospital. The one million pound specialist scanner was carefully craned into position outside the hospital before being wheeled along a corridor into its new home within the hospital’s radiology department.
It will now be set up over the next few weeks in a specially refurbished room with a new back-lit picture wall and ambient lighting to help patients relax in calming and less clinical surroundings.
MRI scanners are used to take images of all parts of the body including the brain, spinal cord, heart and blood vessels and internal organs such as the liver, womb, prostate gland and gall bladder. Around 160 patients from across Forth Valley require MRI scans every week.
Every year NHS Forth Valley is required to invest millions of pounds to replace and upgrade a wide range of medical equipment. MRI scanners normally have to be replaced every 7 – 10 years and the new scanner replaces an older scanner currently based within the hospital.
Additional Information
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a type of scan that uses strong magnetic fields and radio waves to produce detailed images of the inside of the body. The results of an MRI scan can be used to help diagnose conditions, plan treatments and assess how effective previous treatment has been.
During an MRI scan, patients lie on a flat bed that’s moved into the scanner. The scan lasts 15 to 90 minutes, depending on the size of the area being scanned and how many images are taken.
The MRI scanner is operated by a radiographer, who is trained in carrying out imaging investigations. They control the scanner using a computer, which is in a different room, to keep it away from the magnetic field generated by the scanner.
Issued by NHS Forth Valley’s Communications Department – 01786 457243.