MRI scans
Unlike CT scanning, MRI does not use X-rays to produce the images.
However it does make use of very strong magnetic fields and radio waves to create incredibly detailed images of almost any part of the head or body.
MRI scanning is used extensively in neurology, rheumatology and orthopaedic medicine. It has an important role in imaging patients with cancer and can be used to monitor their disease. MRI is now also extensively used to perform bowel and cardiac examinations.
Because of the strong magnetic forces used in MRI it is unsafe for some patients - for example, most (not all) people fitted with a cardiac pacemaker are unsuitable for MRI. Some patients fitted with a particular type of shunt designed to drain excess fluid from the brain are also only safe in certain circumstances. Because MR scanners are not safe for all patients a safety checklist mustbe completed by everyone prior to entering the MRI room.
The MRI scanning suite is equipped with the latest technology. The suite has two Siemens 1.5 Tesla strength MRI machines, both of which are capable of the full range of diagnostic tests.
The suite also now includes one of the most powerful MRI scanners available for clinical use, following the installation of the Philips Ingenia 3T MRI scanner in August 2012. It is one of only a handful of 3T MRI scanners in England, twice as powerful as the more common 1.5T scanners found in most hospitals. It is only the second such scanner in the south west.
Its increased scanning power enables the most detailed imaging ever possible at Poole Hospital. It can also produce conventional quality images faster than a 1.5T MRI scanner, and offers a more comfortable experience for patients thanks to its wide bore. The opening of the new scanner now enables the hospital to offer whole body scans which can identify the spread and prevalence of cancer.
