Physicians use various forms of imaging technology to peer into the inside of patients’ bodies. One of the most popular forms of modern medical imaging technology is the MRI, which is short for magnetic resonance imaging. MRI scans first put out magnetic waves that cause water molecules’ protons to spin. Once the magnetic waves are ceased, radio waves interact with the aforementioned protons, which are now spinning backward to the original position, which emits tiny bits of light that can be detected by high-tech cameras. Let’s talk about a special variety of MRI technology known as open MRI equipment.
What Is Open MRI Equipment?
Typically, MRI scanning technology comes in the form of a large box, which is home to the technology that’s actually responsible for capturing images of patients, and a slab on which patients lay and are inserted into the machine and taken out of it with. Open MRI equipment comes in essentially the same layout as traditional MRI imaging technology, though patients can see out of the sides of the machinery.
Why Is This Equipment Used?
One of the most common uses of open MRI scanning equipment is to quell the fears of patients who suffer from anxiety disorders such as claustrophobia. Anxious patients are more likely to stay still in such a situation than their counterparts who use closed MRI machines. Another utilization of open MRIs is to accommodate large patients.
Here’s How MRI Scans Are Carried Out
Patients who undergo MRI scans usually are injected with tracers, or substances that show up well on MRI equipment, which takes about an hour to work. After the waiting period has elapsed following the tracer injection and before the actual scan takes place, the scan itself usually doesn’t take much longer than a few minutes. Here in the United States, roughly 1.1% of the population submits themselves to MRI scans in a year.
