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MRI stress-testing
Putting our scanners through their paces
Why are we stress-testing our MRI scanners?
patient safety
product reliability
sustainability
What if an MRI got hit by a magnetic object? Or the wrong settings were set before a scan? What if a patient-table got stuck during an emergency? There is an unlimited number of things that could go wrong, and still all our scanners have to fulfill specific criteria ensuring – no matter the scenario – their safety, reliability, and sustainability.
In short this is why we're testing - but certainly as important as the why is the how. So next question:
How are we stress-testing our MRI scanners?
The outside
Temperature, transport and other environmental influences
surfaces
tables
environments
The outer layer of an MRI must be able to withstand a lot. Not only environmental influences such as temperature and transport conditions, but also impact damage. MRIs generate a magnetic field that can strongly pull any magnetic object in the immediate surrounding area at high speed.
Ball impact test
Standard finger test
Patient table test
- A phantom of 270 Kilogram is placed on the table.
- Then the functionality of the brakes is ensured.
- Afterwards a laser is used to measure the table's position memory, meaning whether it stops automatically at the same preset marks every time.
- Then follows an endurance test. Up and down...
- ...and in and out of the imitated scanner bore.
Achieving specified image quality
The inside
Interfaces, data transmission and processing
connectors
wires
signals
The inside of an MRI is where all the magic happens. Electrical signals are transmitted, processed and returned. Electromagnetic waves are recorded and translated into clinical images. And all this must run smoothly and reliably.
Plugging and unplugging
How does MRI work?
MRI technology is one of the great achievements of medical technology - discover 12 things that are barely known.
Volunteer release test
Before an MRI system can be safely tested with volunteers, Phantom Hugo must undergo several MRI scans. In this test phase, our colleagues check whether the system is safe for scans with volunteers: software parameters are checked, the system is manipulated, and error messages are deliberately provoked in order to subsequently evaluate the scanner's reaction. The task of the software is to ask back in case of wrong settings: is the body weight of the patient really 400 kilograms with a height of 130cm? Can these parameters be correct? See how the system reacts here:
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MRI technology is one of the great achievements of medical technology - discover 12 things that are barely known.