If you’ve ever gotten an MRI, it’s doubtful you’ve enjoyed the experience. In fact, some people dread it. However, it can be a very useful tool when determining your physical condition, which is why so many doctors and hospitals utilize it.
You might head for an MRI in Salt Lake City if you live there and you’ve injured yourself. Before you do that, though, you might be wondering whether there have been any technological advancements in the field of MRIs that you may encounter during your appointment.
We will discuss the matter in detail right now.
What Exactly is an MRI, Anyway?
We will start by explaining what an MRI is and how it works. The letters MRI stand for magnetic resonance imaging. It is a type of medical imaging that has been used for many decades now.
Radio waves and strong magnetic fields are a key part of the MRI experience. They are used to create a highly detailed picture of the inside of the human body. The process is quite ingenious.
This is considered to be a non-invasive procedure. Still, some people dislike it because you have to lie on a table, and then the technician slides you into a narrow tube.
If you are getting an MRI done on your ankle or something lower down on your body, then you don’t have to go all the way in. If you need imaging of your head, though, you’re sliding all the way into that tube. As you would imagine, that can be quite the ordeal for any member of the population who is claustrophobic.
The technician will often tell you to close your eyes when you’re in there if you don’t like enclosed spaces. They might also put some headphones on and pipe in some music.
This can help to distract you so that you don’t squirm. If you move too much while the MRI is happening, you might have to start all over again.
Now that you know about the basics, let’s move on to talking about the latest advancements in this exciting medical field.
They’re Faster Than Before
It would probably be accurate to say that for several decades, the experience of having an MRI would have been about the same. Time marches on, though. These days, there are definitely some differences you would notice between an MRI you would have gotten in the 1970s versus one you would experience today.
For one thing, they’re much faster now. One complaint about previous MRIs was how long they took. You might have had to lie in the tube for 45 minutes or an hour. It wasn’t exactly a pleasant way to spend a morning.
Now, AI has helped to speed up the MRI process. It has to do with complex algorithms. This form of AI infusion with existing MRI technology can reduce scan time so that you might be out of the tube in 10 or 15 minutes.
New Protocols
There’s also a new protocol to think about. While it has not been employed by every hospital or clinic that offers MRIs, many have started to use it.
It is called Siemens. Much like the AI infusion, the purpose of it is to speed up the scan process. Those facilities that use it can get all the same data incredibly quickly without sacrificing image quality.
Compressed Sensing
Compressed sensing is directly related to the Siemens MRI system. Essentially, it allows MRI machines to get faster image acquisition by using much smaller amounts of data to reconstruct a picture.
With compressed sensing being used, a patient can go into the MRI tube and hear the unpleasant whirring and chugging noises for a fraction of the time. Using a relatively small amount of collected data, the computer that’s an integral part of the MRI machine can determine whether there is any damage or anything else noteworthy happening with the body part under observation.
Ultra-High Resolution Scanners
There’s also more ultra-high resolution scanners being used in relation to modern MRI machines. There’s one called a 7T scanner. This one can record 10x the detail of more primitive versions.
In some instances, 50 times more detail can be collected, especially as compared to the 3T scanners that used to be the norm. This means a doctor can determine the exact nature and location of a torn muscle, for instance. If they decide that they need to operate, they can make the cut exactly where it needs to be, leading to much less scarring for the patient.
More Comfortable Patient Experiences
Perhaps what the average patient tends to find most exciting, though, is the more comfortable experience they can have as compared to what they once would have gone through. For example, they can get a headset that allows them to enjoy augmented reality while they are slid into the tube.
It’s much less likely that someone will squirm or be uncomfortable if they have the experience of drifting though a sunny meadow full of flowers or if they feel like they are taking a walk through sun-dappled woods. Even the most fearful patients find the experience much more calming now.
The so-called quiet technology is also worth mentioning. Something else that patients used to hate about the MRI experience was how loud the machine was. It sounded like you were right next to an active construction site.
The horrid noises can now be dulled substantially by quiet tech. Again, Siemens is responsible for this.
If you’re lucky enough to get the quiet tech offered by Siemens, you will still be able to hear the clanging and banging, but it will be much less noticeable. That makes the overall experience a lot more tolerable, especially if you’re someone who has noise sensitivity issues.
All of this combined makes getting an MRI easier than it once was. The only unfortunate thing is that underfunded medical facilities still have the older technology because they simply don’t have the cash to make the switch yet.
