MRI Suite Design Include safety, functionality and patient comfort considerations when planning new MRI facilities

2013 Trend Report: Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, is a powerful diagnostic tool for today`s medical practitioners. New advances in scanner technology are increasing the breadth of MRI`s applications at a rapid pace, and the number of scanning suites has exploded in the past decade. Due to the immense technical complexity of MRI systems, these suites can be challenging to design, but certain strategies can help reduce dangers to patients and staff while increasing functionality, throughput, patient comfort and visual appeal.

Safety First
Planners of MRI suites should follow the planning guidelines developed by the American College of Radiology (ACR). Addressing the potential danger of ferrous items brought inadvertently into the scan room, the ACR has developed recommendations for a multi-zone design plan for MRI suites, which aims to set up increasingly restricted occupancy zones as the patient moves from the unregulated public zone outside of the suite to the most highly restricted zone of the scan room itself.