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Mid-Michigan MRI provides open MRI services at the MSU Clinical Center. This is a valuable service for
patients who may be extremely claustrophobic or too large for a high-field MRI unit.
“Open MRI procedures are especially useful for claustrophobic individuals and overweight or obese patients,
because patients have greater room and can see beyond the open MRI machine,” said Mark DeLano, director of
MRI at the Radiology Center and co-medical director of Mid-Michigan MRI, a joint venture of MSU and Sparrow
Hospital in Lansing.
In a standard MRI procedure, a patient lies within a somewhat enclosed “ring,” something that can be
challenging for the claustrophobic or overweight person. As the name implies, the open MRI technology is open
on either side of the patient, allowing for more space and visibility.
The open MRI provides diagnostic services similar to normal MRI services. Mid-Michigan MRI and the MSU
Clinical Center use a GE 0.7T OpenSpeed MRI which uses two magnets above and below the patient to create the
diagnostic images.
While procedures done on the open MRI take slightly longer to complete than standard MRI, the major advantage
is that, thanks to its openness, it offers this technology to people who would not have been able to use it.
Approximately 10 percent of patients are claustrophobic and half of them cannot complete a normal MRI. The open
MRI is an alternative option for performing diagnostic MRIs which can be cost saving.
Patients must have a physician referral to use open MRI services. Open MRI technology is covered as standard
MRI treatment under most types of health insurance.
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