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Top Technology for New Hospital
A massive new MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) machine for the people of the Wellington region signals big advances in Radiology services.
Dr Chris Griffin, clinical leader Radiology, says ten years of technological advancements are evident in the new 4.5 tonne machine.
“The new machine is vastly more efficient than our current machine. It has absolutely state of the art software which, in some areas, puts us ahead of current industry standards. There are big improvements to functionality and efficiency.
“The new MRI allows us to take real time images of the heart – so we will be able to see the heart beating while the patient is being scanned. This will allow our clinicians to evaluate for things such as myocardial infarction (heart attack) and cardiac output.
“We can now also take full body images in an instant instead of taking a series of images and then having to collate them. Again this will save lots of time for our patients and clinicians, helping us become more efficient.
“Unlike the old machines, the new software means the patient, in some instances, will not need to hold their breath because the software self corrects to allow for movement. Also a lot of the processes are significantly shortened – an examination for instance will go from taking an hour to three minutes.
“The machine is also more precise – so we will have better tumour or lesion detection, and we can now perform angiography. This allows us to watch blood flow within the vessels of the heart in real time. The technology is truly awesome and the Radiology team is very much looking forward to learning to use the new machine.”
Dr Griffin says the much higher image resolution brings improved clinical consistency without operator variability, and many other diagnostic advances.
Ken Whelan, C&C DHB chief executive says a range of new equipment will be commissioned over the next few months.
“The new equipment future proofs Radiology Service delivery for the people of the Wellington region for the next decade. Anticipating population growth and a change in the health needs of our population, improved efficiencies in our hardware and service delivery are crucial. I’m very excited to be at the helm of the DHB at this time.”
It will be several months before the new MRI machine is fully operational because of the complicated installation and testing processes required.
About the MRI
- The 1.5 Tesla (unit of magnetic measurement) MRI is, essentially, a massive magnet which is 30,000 times more powerful than the earth’s magnetic field.
- It uses a radio frequency transmission system to produce 3 D images of the body. Because of the radio frequency it’s considered much safer than x-ray which uses ionizing radiation.
- The machine uses an ultra-compact 1.57 m short-bore magnet.
- The machine must be housed in a Radio Frequency (RF) cage – a copper shielded room-within-a-room – to maintain the integrity of the radio waves the magnet produces.
- A rigorous safety check of the patient must be made before entering the CF cage because the magnet’s powerful pull could dislodge any metal within or on the body of the patient.
- The magnet must remain switched on because it is supercooled by liquid helium which must be refrigerated to a very cold temperature
- MRI machines cost around $2.5 million.
Other new equipment;
- A new digital mammography machine for breast x-rays – currently the only one of its type in the region
- Three new ultrasound machines
- Two cardiac catheter laboratories - examination rooms with diagnostic imaging equipment used to support the catheterization procedure – in this case investigation of the heart’s blood vessels
- A new fluoroscopy room - fluoroscopy is an imaging technique used to obtain real-time moving images of the internal structures of a patient through the use of a fluoroscope – for instance the swallowing motion.
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