Stand-Up™ Open MRI
The ONLY True Open in DelawareDiagnostic Imaging Associates now has the Stand-Up™ Open MRI, the world’s only whole-body MRI with the ability to perform Position Imaging™ (pMRI™). Patients can be scanned in a multitude of positions, including standing, sitting, flexion, extension, rotation, and lateral bending, as well as the usual recumbent positions used in conventional “lie-down” MRI scanning. For the first time, patients can be scanned in weight-bearing positions and in their positions of symptoms or pain.
The Stand-Up Open MRI is the ultimate in “open” -- the only non-claustrophobic whole-body MRI scanner in the industry. Patients can walk into the scanner, have their scans done, and walk out. There is nothing directly in front of the face or over the head that can cause our patients to experience a “closed-in” feeling. In addition to its extraordinary openness, the Stand-Up Open MRI is uniquely quiet. Patients can comfortably sit and watch a favorite program on a TV monitor mounted on the wall, or listen to soothing music.
Patients can be positioned horizontally, just as they would be in a conventional MRI scanner, or upright, either standing or sitting. An elevator mechanism raises or lowers the patient as is necessary to position the area of concern precisely at the center of the magnet. For the first time, the entire length of the spine can be imaged in its normal weight-bearing posture, even with patients touching their toes in full flexion of the lumbar spine. Additionally, patients can be positioned facing one of the poles, which enable lateral positioning of the arms, legs and lumbar spine.
Certain cardiovascular and neurological disorders exhibit their symptoms primarily when the patient is upright. The same is true of the GI tract and the spine and joints, including hips, knees and ankles. Coupled with MRI's unparalleled ability to "see" soft tissues, the Stand-Up Open MRI gives physicians a more global view of pathology and its impact on function.
Frequently Asked Questions
Benefits
Stand-Up™ Open MRI Specifications
Positional Imaging
Benefits
The revolutionary design of FONAR's Stand-Up™ Open MRI allows patients to simply walk in and be scanned. Commonly, an upright position is the only position in which the patient's symptoms occur. Certain cardiovascular and neurological disorders exhibit their symptoms primarily when the patient is standing. The same is true of the GI tract and the spine and joints, including hips, knees and ankles. Together with the MRI's unmatched capacity to observe soft tissues, the Stand-Up Open MRI gives physicians a more comprehensive view of pathology and its impact on function. From a medical point of view, the Stand-Up Open MRI provides a striking view of the body's interior. Ultimately, Diagnostic Imaging Associates brings to the medical industry the remarkable capability to see all the body's organs and tissues in their normal position of function -- upright.
Distinguishing Benefits Include:
- The only true Open MRI
- Proven 0.6 Tesla performance
- Scan patients lying down
- Scan patients in flexion, extension, rotation and lateral bending
- Scan patients in a sitting position
- Position MRI™ (pMRI™)
- Scan patients in their position of pain
- Scan cardiovascular patients upright in their position of symptoms
- Scan patients with cerebrovascular insufficiency in the upright position of symptoms
- Patient convenience: walk in, sit or stand during the scan and walk out
- An unprecedented degree of patient comfort due to the unobstructed view of the scanner room from inside the magnet. There is nothing in front of the patient's face
Stand-Up™ Open MRI Specifications
Patient Handling System
- Translation function advances the upright or recumbent patient into center of the magnet
- Elevator function places standing patient's anatomy of interest at magnet isocenter
- Tilt function rotates the patient from upright to the recumbent position
- Table slightly tilted at 5 degrees to stabilize patients during upright scanning
- Support fixtures for RF receiver coils integrated into the table.
- Motorized and computer-controlled
- Fully MRI-compatible
Patient Comfort
- The only true Open MRI
- The most non-claustrophobic whole-body Open MRI
- Walk in, stand or sit for the scan, walk out
- Removable seat
- An unprecedented degree of patient comfort because there is an unobstructed view of the scanner room from inside the magnet. There is nothing in front of the patient's face.
Movable, trans-polar stabilization bars to enhance patient comfort and stability during multi-positional scans such as flexion, extension, rotation and lateral bending. - Whisper Gradients™ for quiet scans
- Weight-bearing studies of the human anatomy.
- Unrestricted range-of-motion for flexion, extension, rotation and lateral bending.
- Brain scans with the patient upright (vertical)
- Patient positioning plays a critical role in detecting clinically significant pathology.
Magnet
- 0.6 Tesla field strength
- Iron-frame electromagnet
- Front-open and top-open magnet design
- Magnetic poles are on the left and right of the patient
- Horizontal (transaxial) magnetic field orientation
- 18 inch (46 cm) pole-to-pole, horizontal gap
- Multi-positional capabilities for positional MRI™ (pMRI™) studies
Positional Imaging
The Stand-Up™ Open MRI allows all parts of the body, particularly the spine and joints, to be imaged in the weight-bearing state. The system is equipped with FONAR’S unique MRI-compatible motorized patient handling system that will move the patient into the magnet and place the anatomy of interest into the center of the magnet gap. It can also rotate the vertically-oriented patient into a horizontal position so the patient can be scanned lying down as in conventional MRI scanning.
Click here to see examples of Position Imaging™
Top of Page
