Dear AuntMinnie Member,
Picture this scenario: You're in the scanning room of an MRI suite when the magnet begins to quench, leaking cryogen into the room. You struggle to pull the door open to escape, but it opens inward to the suite, and the pressure buildup from the warming cryogen keeps it from budging. You're trapped.
Maybe this scene is more suited to a horror movie than to your average MRI suite, but it is theoretically possible, and it illustrates the importance of good design principles in the siting and installation of MRI scanners. The history of tragic accidents that have occurred in MRI suites due to their strong magnetic fields makes planning a matter of life and death.
How to site your next MRI scanner is the subject of a new two-part series we're featuring this week in our MRI Digital Community. Authored by experts from MRI architectural firm Jünk Architects, the series explores the 10 questions that every imaging facility should ask when planning its next installation.
The series covers the current state of the art in MRI site design, such as the American College of Radiology's four-zone model, HIPAA's impact on site design, and the special requirements of 3-tesla scanners. The series also sheds light on some of the popularly held myths in MRI architecture.
Read all about them by clicking here for the most recent article in the series. You can also visit our MRI Digital Community, at mri.auntminnie.com, for part I and other recent news in the world of MRI.
