Midland Memorial Hospital

State Of The Art High Definition MRI System

September 14, 2005

Powerful Diagnostic Imaging Technology Enables Faster, More Detailed Exams with Clarity Reminiscent of High Definition Television

Midland Memorial Hospital has acquired a new, state-of-the-art high definition magnetic resonance (HDMR) system from GE Healthcare. The Signa® EXCITE 1.5T HD system will provide doctors at Midland Memorial with highly detailed pictures of anatomy and pathology to help them evaluate a wide range of conditions, including stroke, musculoskeletal, and heart disease.

"Now with our new high definition MRI system, Midland Memorial Hospital is able to capture dramatic images of our patients, reminiscent of high definition television. This new system provides our physicians with outstanding image quality for a more confident diagnosis, and less likelihood of rescans, even in the most challenging circumstances," said Kathy Ives, MRI Supervisor.

The new scanner also features GE's leading edge EXCITE data management platform. This breakthrough enables Midland Memorial Hospital to offer patients more sophisticated exams, such as functional imaging and spectroscopy.

The high definition MR scanner is built precisely to handle the types of studies that are becoming increasingly important in the diagnosis of disease. "We get more information to diagnose disease while patients experience a shorter, more comfortable exam. Plus, patients can take advantage of this advanced healthcare technology right here, in their local community," said Karen Orozco, MRI Manager.

The Signa EXCITE 1.5T HD system will also, for the first time, provide Midland Memorial Hospital's physicians with unprecedented imaging speed and clarity in cases where patients are difficult to image due to movement, including Parkinson's patients who suffer from uncontrollable motion and children who do not respond to sedation.

During a typical MR scan, a patient is asked to remain still for the exam. Even if a patient is cooperative they can blur a scan with a slight movement, including a cough or sneeze. This movement can hide important details, make the doctor's job of diagnosing the situation more challenging, or require a re-scan - sometimes up to 25 percent of the time with conventional MR scanners.

Today, Midland Memorial Hospital is able to offer its patients advanced capabilities and entirely new applications that are only available with HDMR, such as:

brain imaging with uncompromised image quality, despite patient motion
evaluation of diabetic patients for low blood flow to the lower legs - ability to capture high-resolution detail all the way down into the critical vessels of the footextremely high-resolution
images in the abdomen, for liver exams with shorter breath holds and better organ coverage than previously possible
examine both breasts in a single exam with high-resolution, high sensitivity results
complete a full cardiac exam in just two minutes without the need for breath holding - makes it easy for even the sickest patients

"In addition, our physicians are able to offer the most comprehensive breadth of MR procedures in the Permian Basin area, providing optimal diagnostic capabilities for the assessment of the brain, spine, prostate, abdomen, and pelvis, as well as perform orthopedic procedures on the elbow, wrist, hip and ankle," said Kathy Ives.

MRI uses computers and magnetic fields, rather than X-rays, to capture images of the human body.

Midland Memorial Hospital's new high definition MR system produces images of amazing clarity and detail. We know that we'll get superior images even in the most difficult cases, and that means better patient care for our patients.

This exciting imaging technology is housed at Midland Memorial Hospital West Campus, 4214 Andrews Highway, in Midland, Texas. To schedule an appointment, please contact the Radiology Scheduling Department at (432) 682-9729.