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New open MRI = airy space + better pictures: Good news for claustrophobic and large patients

Radiologist Dr. Mellena Bridges tests the elbow room in the new open MRI. Read about the installation of this 4-ton machine.

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Patients who dislike the confines of traditional magnetic resonance scanners will be happy to hear about the new open MRI Mayo Clinic installed in early September.

The new machine has a table that's closer to the floor, more interior room and the technology to complete most scans with the patient's head outside the scanner.

"The new patient-friendly design of this magnet will make it easier for large patients and for those who have claustrophobia to be able to have a high quality MRI examination," says Dr. Jerald Pietan, chair of the Department of Radiology at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville.

The heart of an MRI machine is a powerful magnet. In this case, it's 4 feet long, more than a foot shorter than magnets in most MRIs. This means that more than 60 percent of patients can be positioned in the scanner feet first with their head outside the machine. The scanner's interior diameter is 4 inches wider than traditional machines, adding to the open feeling.

It's the first machine of its kind to combine patient comfort with high-field strength. According to Pietan, the field strength of a magnet is important in determining the image quality and the time it takes to complete a study. Traditional open MRIs typically have less field strength, which translates into longer scan times and poorer image quality because increased scan times allow for more motion degradation.

Currently, patients too large to fit inside the bore of a high-field MRI magnet have studies done in open MRIs with low-field magnets. This limits the diagnostic usefulness of the images obtained.

Claustrophobic patients present another challenge for MRI systems. Although the patients can be sedated, this adds to their inconvenience and the time it takes to complete the exam.

Because fewer patients will require sedation and larger patients will be able to be tested in this MRI, Mayo will be able to accommodate more patients and perform scans more quickly.

"I think it's going to increase efficiency and patient convenience," Pietan says.

MRIs work by using a magnetic field and radio waves to create cross-sectional images of your head and body. The MRI machine contains a large, cylinder-shaped magnet with gradient coils that are used to send and receive radio waves. When you're in the machine, the magnet causes all of your water molecules to line up with the magnetic field. In response to the radio waves, your body produces very faint signals. These are picked up by the gradient coils and processed by a computer that makes the images.

The collected data can be used to create a composite, three-dimensional representation of your body. Your physician can use these detailed, clear images to identify and diagnose a wide range of conditions.

Mayo Clinic is the first medical institution in the world to get this machine, called the MAGNETOM Espree, thanks to a special arrangement with the manufacturer, Germany-based Siemens Medical Solutions.

To request an appointment at Mayo Clinic Jacksonville, call (904) 953-0853 or complete our online appointment request form: