The Health Bureau (SSM) said in a statement yesterday that the public Conde de São Januário Hospital Centre has obtained a new high-field-strength magnetic resonance imaging (MIR) scanner to meet the increasing demand for medical testing, which is already in service.
According to the ScienceDirect website, magnetic field strengths higher than 1.5 T are considered high-field MRI scanners. The MIR in the public hospital is a 3.0 T scanner.
According to Medical Associates of Northwest Arkansas, a tesla measures the strength of a magnetic field. 3T MRI, or 3 Tesla MRI, uses very powerful magnets that produce a 3-tesla magnetic field.
According to Wikipedia, MRI scanners use strong magnetic fields, magnetic field gradients, and radio waves to generate images of the organs in the body. MRI does not involve X-rays or the use of ionising radiation, which distinguishes it from computed tomography (CT) and positron emission tomography (PET) scans.
With the development of medical technology, medical imaging technology is increasingly widely used, among which MRI has become a common non-radiation medical imaging technology, the SSM statement said, adding that through multi-angle scanning of the tissue and anatomical structure of the internal organs of the human body, the MRI can provide clear images for doctors to use for diagnosis and treatment plans.
The statement said that specialist doctors and senior health technicians at the public hospital have undergone special training to facilitate the smooth implementation of the service.
The machine can shorten the scanning time, therefore possibly reducing any fear the patients might have while being scanned. It can also provide a more comfortable testing environment, which can greatly improve patients’ comfort during testing, the statement said.
The statement did not reveal the price of the scanner, not its country of origin.
This undated file photo provided by the Health Bureau yesterday shows the latest high-field-strength magnetic resonance imaging (MIR) scanner of the public Conde de São Januário Hospital Centre.
