Wide-Bore MRI

High field strength in a more open, patient-friendly system

Our Siemens machine is one of the most technologically advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems of its kind. It combines the powerful magnetic field needed for detailed images with a more open and less restrictive patient experience.

Most MRI systems are designed like a tube, which is why it can make patients feel anxious or claustrophobic. But with our system, not only is the opening wider, but much of your body (and in most cases, your head) remains outside of the scanner during the exam. This ensures a much more pleasant patient experience.

How does MRI work?

An MRI scanner uses strong magnetic fields, combined with radio waves, to generate detailed images of the inside of the body, including bones, muscles, blood vessels, organs and soft tissues. The magnet aligns hydrogen atoms in your body, which the radio waves disrupt. As the atoms realign, they emit signals that are detected by sensors and processed by a sophisticated computer into images. Because no x-rays are involved, having an MRI does not expose you to any form of ionizing radiation.

What can I expect during my MRI examination?

Most MRI examinations last between 20 minutes and one hour (with our advanced system, exam times may be shorter). You will change into a gown and be asked to remove any type of metal from your body, such as a watch, jewelry or piercings. If your exam involves a contrast agent, you will receive a gadolinium-based dye injection intravenously before your exam. This is to enhance image clarity which can help better diagnose conditions affecting the brain and spine, as well as cancer.

You will lie flat on a table that will slide into the well-lit wide-bore system. The technologist will communicate with you during the process, and you will have a call button that you can press if you need to speak with them. You will be asked to lie still. The MRI machine makes a loud knocking or thumping while it is obtaining images–this is normal, and you will be given ear phones and the option to listen to music.

When the exam is completed, you are free to return home. Your results are typically available to both you and your doctor within 24-48 hours of your test through our patient portal.

Wide-Bore MRI

High field strength in a more open, patient-friendly system

How does MRI work?

What can I expect during my MRI examination?

For more information about Wide-Bore MRI at Parker County Imaging or to schedule an appointment please contact us.