Maharashtra gets its first Silent Scan MRI
- Omega Scans, Pune is the first to make this technology available to people in Maharashtra.
- GE Healthcare’s Signa Pioneer MRI system with wide-bore Silent Scan and MAGiC is one-of-the the most advanced MRI system available in the country today
9 January 9, 2017, Pune, India: MRI scans are among the most advanced tools available to image a host of medical conditions that assist the clinician in their diagnosis. However, when people undergoing the MRI scans are questioned, the excessive noise and the duration they have to spend in the machine are reported as two of their biggest concerns areas.
This is where GE Healthcare’s SIGNA PIONEER MRI system is a world apart. It boasts of two innovations: Silent Scan and MAGiC which take patient comfort and convenience to a completely different level. Omega Scans, a leading diagnostic chain in Pune today inaugurated Maharashtra’s first 3T Silent Scan MRI with MAGiC at their center in Poona Hospital and Research Center, Sadashiv Peth, Pune.
Speaking at the inauguration, Dr Abhimanyu B. Kelkar, Director, Omega Scan Diagnostics, Pune said, “While most of the routine MRI scanners produce a lot of acoustic noise, adding to patient discomfort and claustrophobia, Signa Pioneer is a leap ahead in patient convenience and can scan patients in almost complete silence. It provides not only precise, sharp and quick images, but cuts down the scanning time by a great deal due to the availability of a unique feature called MAGiC. Patients also feel more comfortable due to the 70-cm wide bore. For technicians, the handling of controls is very user friendly and for radiologists the versatility is incomparable.”
What is Silent Scan and MAGiC
A conventional MRI scanner produces noise of about 110 decibels (dBA), rivalling noises from a steel mill, an aircraft engine or heavy traffic on our roads. This loud noise causes patient discomfort and distress, which may affect the quality of scan outcome. GE Healthcare addresses this issue with the help of its exclusive wide-bore Silent Scan technology. This enables a less stressful scanning experience. The noise level produced due to Silent Scan is as low as three decibels above ambient noise level (74 dBA) which is significantly lower compared to conventional MRI scanners. The Silent Scan technology -was co-developed in India, leading a silent revolution in MR technology
Magnetic Resonance image compilation (MAGiC) is an exclusive GE Healthcare technology that has recently been introduced in India. This helps in reducing scanning time by as much as 67%.
Due to this technology, a person can undergo a scan in about 5 mins compared to the traditional 16-20 minutes. MAGiC technology is unique as it allows capture of multiple image contrast of a body part through a single scan, instead of one scan for each contrast, thereby significantly reducing the time for scan. MAGiC also gives doctors the flexibility to retrospectively change the contrast even after the scan is completed and the patient is discharged, thus saving the need of re-scan should there be such a requirement from the doctor.
“Acoustic noise is one the biggest complaints by patients that undergo an MRI scan – especially among elderly and children. This loud noise and in addition, being confined in a small space of conventional MRI scanners can make patients feel claustrophobic and makes it difficult for them to hold still during the scan”, said Dr. Scott Atlas, MD, Stanford University, Hoover Institute, California, USA. “If the patient moves, this make the MRI exam very challenging and may affect the quality of the scan. New technologies like Silent Scan and MAGiC, from GE, help to overcome these challenges by making the patient feel more comfortable, relaxed, and reduce the overall scan time, leading to better imaging outcomes.”
