Ways to Differentiate Various Types of MRI Scanners

It’s absolutely necessary for clinics nowadays to get an MRI scanner. Considering it’s the best medical machinery for diagnostic imaging, it can be a massive help to your medical facility and the patients coming in. It can help pinpoint any illness and injury a person may be having.

There’s a wide selection out in the market, though. Although there are tons of options nowadays and technology continues to improve, it can be rather difficult to narrow down what type of MRI scanner you’re hoping to get. Here are some of the ways to differentiate MRI scanner types:

Brand Name

MRI scanners on the market may have a similar mission of making a diagnosis a little easier to make, but they can vary on certain features and variables like the tesla level it has. This is often thanks to the different manufacturers. Leading brand names in the MRI scanner market are GE, Siemens, and Philips. 

Getting a branded MRI scanner from a third-party distributor can often be more beneficial than dealing with the OEM themselves. Support services are much more available, and upgrades can easily be made to the current model.

Machine Construction

MRI scanners come in all shapes and sizes based on how it was constructed. Some of the most known MRI scanners would require a patient to lie down and be in an enclosed space. This type of MRI scanner is known as a high-field MRI scanner.

If you find yourself uncomfortable with that, there are MRI scanners that are made to avoid that. A low-field MRI scanner usually has the MRI scanner opened with a bit more space, but the image quality for these can be a little worse. A standup MRI scanner would not require a person to lie down, which can be great for patients with limited movement. 

Magnetic Strength

One important thing to remember when differentiating MRI scanners is the magnet strength that it provides. MRI scanners function by using a magnetic field to capture images of a patient’s systems. These are different types of magnets in MRI systems:

• Superconducting magnets: Superconducting magnets are some of the most common magnet types you’d see in the MRI system. Its wiring is bathed in cold liquid helium so that it wouldn’t require as much electrical energy to run, making it an excellent economical option for a medical facility to get.

• Resistive magnets: Resistive magnets are somewhat similar to superconducting magnets in terms of strength, but their wiring and coil can be quite resistant. As a result, it does need electrical energy to run properly.

• Permanent magnets: Permanent magnets are magnet types that are always present and turned on to max strength, which does depend on their size. Since MRI scanners of high caliber can need a lot of magnetic strength, a permanent magnet like this can weigh quite a bit.

• Gradient magnets: Gradient magnets usually come in sets of three to make an MRI scanner, with each one with a leveled strength. These magnets can be moved, which is helpful to focus on a certain part of the body that needs to be assessed.

Conclusion

In summary, each type of MRI scanner does have different features in its composition and magnet strength. Specifying the elements that you’d want will bring your medical facility one step closer to having superior imaging technology. 

Want to check out the Philips MRI Achieva 3T or other MRI models? DirectMed Parts helps facilities get their hands on MRI scanners. We offer installation and additional parts to help service professionals. Get in touch with us today!