3T MRI arrived in February 2007. THE WORLDS BEST MRI SCANNER THE SIEMENS TRIO and one of Delaware's leading MRI doctors has been at Abby Medical Center on Rt 4, just east of Christiana Medical Center for over a year now. The 3T Trio gives us unprecedented power to image the heart, brain, spine and musculoskeletal system. It also has functional MRI capabilities. We can pick up more lesions and have greater sensitivity to MRI contrast. The best MRI is MRI done at 3T.
MR Angiograms are particularly improved at 3T. They can be more detailed and can also be obtained in less scan time using parallel imaging. Parallel imaging technology is particularly useful at 3T. This is because parallel imaging benefits for the doubling of signal to noise that occurs at 3T. We can use this to scan 2-3 times as fast if we wish. We can also scan with thinner sections. But mostly we use the extra signal to noise to make our pixels smaller and therefore get real increases in image resolution and detail. For instance in our special MS protocol scans we scan with 1mm thick images. In our knee protocol we scan th 1 mm tick contiguous images. In our cervical and lumbar spine protocols we have a special sequence which uses sroton density fatsaturation images and this helps us to detect smaller disc herniations.
This really helps MR angiography which always has been second cousin to xray angiography because of the reduced resolution. With 3T we really get beautiful MR angiograms which are still not as detailed as xray angiography but are getting closer to the resolution of xray angiography. Any improvement certainly adds to accuracy and pre-surgical planning. We also have a special pulse sequence called TRICKS which lets us get an angiogram with less critical timing issues. This is helpful for evaluation of the arch and carotids.
I have always felt that super high quality MRI is necessary to serve as a roadmap for the surgeon. We can do 2mm thick T2W BRAINLAB protocol scans. This is useful for surgical image guided studies at any hospital which can use the DICOM (standard data) thatour scanner produces. The added benefits that MRI does not use ionizing radiation is particularly important for children as xray dosage is cumulative. Recently the risk of getting cancer from your CT scan has been estimated as 1 in 1000 in adults and 1 in 550 in children. Always ask our doctor if a study not sing xrays can provide similar information.
Our facilities are all designed to ease the patients anxiety but we are also happy to be in a building with a full spa (SOLUTIONS SPA) on the third floor. You can have a swedish massage or aromatherapy treatment prior to your exam to hopefully relax you for your study. We are one of the first 3T MRI facilities in the world to have these benefits for our patients.
One particular benefit of 3T MRI is the direct visualization of Meniere's disease. Enhancement of the endolymphatic sac is seen in this disease but you really need excellent signal to noise and thin sub millimeter sections to see this disorder reliably. 3T MRI has the signal to noise and power to visualize this consistently. On lower strength magnets you can infer the diagnosis but you cannot see it reliably.
One of the really promising techniques is imaging of the lymph nodes at 3T with superparamagnetic iron particles to detect lymph nodes with cancer cell invasion. This is currently undergoing drug trials in the U.S. In Europe this study is done in the Netherlands but we hope to be able to offer this to our patients as soon as it is approved on this side of the pond.
MR Neurography is improved at 3T. Using specialized STIR and fat saturation pulse sequences and very thin sections and small fields of view allows us to visualize the nerve roots of the brachial plexus, lumbosacral plexus and sciatic nerve. Whenever there is unexplained peripheral neuropathy a careful examination of the nerve itself can sometimes show evidence of pathological changes within the nerve or tumors within or encroaching upon the nerve. It is also useful in the post operative evaluation of nerve grafting procedures.
Musculoskeletal imaging is also improved at 3T. We can do real 1mm or sub millimeter sections and this is particularly helpful in small parts such as the wrist or ankle. When we do elbow or wrist or foot studies the use of 2mm thick images is very helpful. It also is twice as fast at 3T so you only have to hold still for 2 minutes istead of 5 minutes at 1.5T. Imaging of fingers and toes is very much improved by these capabilities. On a 1.5T scanner you can get volume averaging artifacts which makes image interpretation more difficult.
MRCP (MR Cholangiopancreatography) is also improved by the increased signal to noise. The ability to do thinner sections also helps to see more subtle abnormalities.
Breast MRI done at 3T is improved because of the improved signal to noise. We can do thinner slices. The images have higher resolution at 3Twhich helps to evaluate he lesion margins and morphology. MR contrast is doubled at 3T so the injection of contrast becomes more sensitive for the detection of cancer. We are able to use less contrast whichs safer for te patients. MR spectroscopy of cancer with studies before and after chemotherapy can establish within a few hours after treatment if the treatment will succeed. This is another breakthrough in MR which is rarely utilized.
To call to ask us questions our phone number is 302-295-3367
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