Rocky Mountain Radiologists Adds New 3T MRI

Rocky Mountain Radiologists and The Exempla Diagnostic Imaging Center have collaborated on one of the most powerful and exciting diagnostic imaging tools available today. With the acquisition of the Philips 3.0T Achieva MRI unit, the future is today. Our patients may now benefit from technology, which until very recently was only available to a limited number of elite research institutions.

Tesla is simply a unit of measure which quantifies the amount of magnetic flux (strength) produced by the unit. The current standard “high field” MRI is 1.5T; therefore the 3.0T Achieva possesses twice the field strength. What does this mean for the clinician and ultimately the patient?

A major benefit is a dramatic increase in imaging signal. Higher resolution scans are acquired at shorter imaging times, which translates to greater patient comfort. Anatomic details and pathology “invisible” to other high field MRI’s are now detected. These features are especially beneficial in neuro-imaging and musculo-skeletal imaging.

The 3.0T MRI doesn’t just produce prettier pictures than the traditional units. The properties inherent in the 3.0T system also allow us to gain functional knowledge of the brain. Two applications in this regard are functional MRI (fMRI) and MR spectroscopy (or MR SPECT). With the higher signal-to-noise ratio, increased magnetic susceptibility and greater contrast sensitivity, the 3T MRI excels at fMRI. A new technique, BOLD (blood-oxygenation-level-dependent) imaging detects regional metabolism through activated areas in the brain, which can be immensely useful in the diagnosis and treatment of stroke, brain tumors and other neurologic syndromes. Neurologists and neurosurgeons can then apply this functional brain information in planning the care of their patients.

A discussion on the benefits of 3.0T MRI would not be complete until its merits in the area of MR angiography (MRA) were mentioned. State-of-the-art MRA on the traditional 1.5T units can be classified as “good.” With 3.0T MRI, this designation is elevated to “spectacular.” 3-dimensional MRA studies give the clinician anatomic detail and orientation that are unsurpassed. Vascular studies of the body and brain on the 3.0T system may well supplant riskier, more invasive catheter-based angiograms…once again, a huge benefit for the patient.