MISSOULA — New technology is coming to one of Missoula’s medical centers that will get you out of an MRI appointment much quicker than before.
It’s called a 3T MRI and health officials say it has twice the magnetic strength as a traditional 1.5T MRI scanner.
It’s now being offered at the Advanced Imaging location inside the Northern Rockies Orthopaedics building at 2740 South Avenue West in Missoula.
Providence St. Patrick is another Missoula hospital that offers 3T MRI scans.
Advanced Imaging Clinical Manager Jenny McGuinn said the team is excited to be able to offer this to their patients.
“It’s a new technology that we have on our 1.5T and 3T that allows us to scan faster with higher resolution, which usually isn't the case. Usually, when you have higher resolution it takes longer,” McGuinn said.
Other benefits associated with the 3T MRI are listed below, according to a news release:
- 3T MRIs provide more scanning options for doctors, with sophisticated imaging procedures not available in lower-power models of MRI scanners, including the ability to scan in tiny slices as small as 1mm to help with the difficult diagnoses of complex conditions.
- They provide higher detailed images in less time – sometimes 2 to 3 times faster.
- Though MRIs are especially suited for scans of conditions involving the brain, spine, and musculoskeletal system, 3T MRIs can now scan for new conditions like prostate cancer.
- In the case of MR Angiogram, these machines provide high-quality vascular imaging, decreasing the need for invasive catheter studies.
- The higher quality scans can detect smaller abnormalities or fractures of joints. They offer detailed imaging of ligaments, tendons, and cartilage to assess the stability of joints, and in some cases, they can even show bleeding involved with fractures.
- 3T MRI is also one of the most sensitive methods for detecting bone and other types of infections that cause tissue changes.
- The GE SIGNA™ Hero 3.0T MRI is a wide-bore MR system, which allows patients more room in the scanner. This means patients with claustrophobia have more room and are less likely to request sedation. Larger patients will have an easier time getting a high-quality scan because they can
McGuinn says all of this helps doctors ensure a more accurate diagnosis and a better understanding of the affected body parts in a shorter time frame.
“Imaging is becoming much more prevalent and in all of the medical field,” McGuinn said. “Doctors need the images to provide their care and make big decisions on what patients are having done. Let’s face it. No one wants to be in an MRI scanner for a long time and if you’re nervous about the outcome, if you can get in and out in a quick time frame and get the answers back from the doctor, that’s pretty ideal.”
3T MRI scans don’t cost more than a traditional MRI, the news release says. Both options are available and officials recommend talking to your doctor first to see if this advanced technology is the right fit for you.
