History of Flint MRI

History

Greater Flint MRI opened in 1989 as an the areas first independent diagnostic magnet. It was owned by a large group of local doctors which has since downsized to a small group of radiologists and neurologists.

The first magnet was a 1.0 Tesla Siemens Magnatom system. It was an eight foot long magnet with a very small bore (opening) and had a patient weight capacity of 300 pounds. Each scan on this magnet was very long, some as much as ten minutes. Most exams took forty five minutes to one hour to complete. The exams at that time were very basic; brain, cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine, knees and shoulders. Magnets at this time were very loud and patients did not have the convenience of music and headphones, but this and other technological advances were on the horizon.

In 1996, Greater Flint MRI installed 1.5 Tesla Siemens Vision system (replacing the original magnet). The Vision magnet was again eight feet long and the bore (interior opening) was only slightly larger version of the previous one. The scans were quicker due to the increase in the strength of the magnet. We could now perform angiography and abdominal studies, and the noise levels were more controlled by headphones with a noise cancellation system.

The 2001 upgrade brought the Siemens Symphony system to Flint. This upgrade did not replace the magnet but again enlarged the interior bore. Upgrades to the magnet improved the gradient strength to give more detailed images, even on larger patients. The introduction of Turbo scanning significantly decreased the amount of time the patient was in the machine. New sequences and scanning techniques added to our growing list of exam capabilities. The panoramic patient table allowed the table to move as staff injected the patient with a power injector, resulting in dynamic real-time scans which produced images of the arteries of the neck, aortic arch, abdominal aorta and peripheral arteries from the pelvis to the feet.

In 2005 the Siemens MAGNETOM Espree was installed at Greater Flint MRI, the first open-bore magnet in Michigan. This current magnet is a 1.5 Tesla magnet and is only four feet long, over two feet wide internal diameter and twenty inch bore height. In most instances the patient's head is out of the machine or is able to see out of the machine. This upgrade also included a new patient table which now accommodates patients up to 600 pounds.

By maintaining the strength of the magnet we are able to perform all of the same scans as before with no loss of image quality. Additionally we have added breast imaging and breast biopsy procedures to our standard list of neurological and orthopedic studies. The open design of the Espree has greatly reduced the instances of claustrophobia, which some patients experience, and we are able to accommodate the larger patients quite comfortably.