MRI Site Selection Considerations - Coaching

MRI Site Selection - Module #5

The Importance of Careful Site Selection for your MRI Magnet, Considerations in MRI Imaging Centers

• The MRI Vendor and Manufacturer will require the Customer to receive the MRI to retain the Seismic and Vibration testing specialist. We can discuss how, when, and where to contact the seismic and vibration testing specialist, the approximate expected cost of the testing, and what you should expect from the process.
• We can review seismic testing reports with you to help you understand why these vibration/seismic tests are necessary, how they work, and what the report means.

RF Shielding

• RF Noise (Radio Frequency) is essential to shielding the MRI Magnet to facilitate artifact- and distortion-free MRI Images. We will discuss where the RF noise can come from and provide crucial information on the work with contractors who will construct your RF shield in the MRI magnet room. Failure to build a competent RF shield will make it very difficult to create high-quality MRI images, and your MRI will be plagued with imaging artifacts that cannot be allowed.
• The construction of the RF shield can be pretty expensive, as most RF shields are made of copper sheets, and there is much to discuss in advance. We will also discuss (EMI) Electromagnetic Interference related to site selection.
• We will discuss necessary penetrations to the RF shield, such as can lights in the ceiling or spotlights to illuminate the room, and we will discuss how your building contractor must mitigate the potential RF noise through filtering from these lights and other RF Shield penetrations.
• We discuss the standards that you want the electrical subcontractors to know when critical and costly RF shield penetrations are made. We often see subcontractors with issues that need to be addressed upfront during subcontractor selection but are usually not discussed until after a problem occurs.

Additional topics to consider in MRI Site Selection:

Magnetic Field Safety Issues

• We will discuss the crucial conversations you will have with your MRI vendor and what their design team should supply you in the form of Multipage MRI Magnet Room, Control Room, and Equipment Room Buildout schematics. This includes the disclaimer, customer (client) responsibilities, Site Readiness checklist, and location planning reminders.
• A detailed and particular site plan schematic must be provided by your MRI vendor of the MRI Magnet Room, MRI Control Room, and Equipment Room, with a layout for your specific site and Magnet siting, with dimensions and the demarcations for the 3G, 5G, 10G, 30G, 50G, 100G, and 200 Gauss field lines. We will discuss here and in other Assistance Modules the importance of managing with your MRI Vendor design team and the actual placement of the MRI Magnet 5 Gauss field line fully within the walls of the MRI exam suite itself. Failure to manage this upfront in creating a proper MRI Magnet suite plan design can result in significant patient, employee, visitor, and adjoining office suite personnel and visitor safety issues related to the magnetic field layout at 5 Gauss or stronger.

Cooling the MRI Suite to prevent equipment damage

• We will discuss the necessary aspects of the MRI cryogen venting system's planning, placement, and buildout. We can also discuss what should be avoided and what is ideal for the design and build process.

• We can discuss the specifications of the weight and BTU output for key MRI equipment components and what that will mean to the client and their architect and builder.
• We can discuss the various MRI Center Rooms and what to consider, know about, and plan for with each: the MRI Magnet Room, the MRI Control Room, the MRI Equipment Room, the Dressing and Locker Room, the Patient Toilet, the Hallways, the Patient reception, area, and the Patient waiting area. We can also discuss possible minimum suggested room dimensions.
• We can discuss fire suppression systems and the possible need for supplemental cooling (CRAC units) due to the tight room dimensions and high BTU heat output, which can damage expensive equipment.

Supplemental Cooling: A small investment that prevents considerable expense

• We can discuss options related to low-cost and very efficient city water backup cooling systems for the MRI Magnet. These systems could be employed during a power outage to forestall the bleed-off/venting of expensive Helium (Quench).
• We can discuss humidity and temperature requirements for the control and magnet rooms.
• We can discuss the four critical safety zones and access and control of the Magnet Room.
• With an existing slab on grade ferrous metal rebar, we can discuss the cement core cut and re-pour of cement with non-ferrous metal rebar.
• We will discuss the design/build requirements of remote monitoring of the MRI unit and the owner's requirements.
• We can provide preplanning assistance in IT pathways, MRI unit IT requirements, and the IT remote send and receive planning architecture for the radiology remote read and report return, including possible archives of the studies.

• Beware of the MRI Magnet Room Retrofit.

• Please be aware that we were called in to work with a new Magnet Room retrofit in a room that had previously housed an MRI. We were advised the room was acceptable “as is." However, the Magnet Room was not even remotely acceptable “as is.” The client expenses were significant in this magnet room retrofit and were not anticipated by the client in advance. In this type of MRI Magnet Room Retrofit, it is essential to know what you will run into and need to consider in a retrofit of an existing MRI Magnet and Equipment Room. We have valuable information to share, such as an MRI Magnet Room retrofit after removing a previous MRI unit.

Magnet Suite – Coaching – 13

Delivery/Ramp Up – Coaching – 18

Testing/Go Live – Coaching – 19