A new four-ton piece of equipment helps relax patients at Saint Alphonsus Medical Center-Ontario.
The hospital recently put into service a new MRI system from Siemens Healthineers that includes a variety of advances.
MRIs – magnetic resonance imaging – can generate detailed computer images of bones, organs and other body structures. Doctors use them to diagnose injuries, tumors and diseases.
With a larger opening for scanning and a shorter table, the $2 million addition is “less stressful for patients who feel anxious or claustrophobic during traditional MRI scans,” the hospital said in a recent statement.
Or, as Siemens explains on its website, “Patient anxiety is replaced with confidence and comfort.”
Among the features: Playing music while a scan is underway.
The new equipment makes use of artificial intelligence to help better evaluate images “which helps doctors make better diagnoses promptly,” the hospital statement said.
Scans don’t take as long, Siemens says.
“Faster scans boost workflow efficiency while improving the patient experience,” the company says on its website “Noisy and boring MRI exams are a thing of the past…Patients are engaged by an impressive sound and video experience as soon as they lie on the table.”
“This new MRI machine is another example of how we ensure the best and safest care is provided to our patients,” said Dina Ellwanger, hospital president.
