Revolutionary Silent Scan MR Technology now available in India

Imagine getting an MRI done in absolute silence. It is now possible to experience it for real with GE Healthcare’s Silent scan which has revolutionised the way traditional MRs function. Image quality has been at the heart of technological advancements in the MR industry, however little or no attention was paid to excessive acoustic noise generated during an MR scan. This loud, anxiety elevating noise is often a common refrain of patients, which can be intimidating as well. It is to be noted that conventional MR scanners generate noise in excess of 110 dBA (decibels) levels, similar to what we hear at a rock concert and hence patients are usually given headphones prior to a scan to protect their ears.The noise generated is related to changes in the magnetic field that allow the slice by slice body scan to be carried out. Efforts to speed up the scanning process in the next generation of MRs have further resulted in more louder scans. To counter this, acoustic noise mitigation techniques so far focused on insulating components and muffling sound as opposed to treating the noise at the source. So even as the MRs were getting technologically advanced and scanning faster, what they lacked was a patient centric approach making their experience more comfortable. It was with this in mind that GE achieved acoustic noise elimination right at the source with its new 3D scanning and reconstruction technique called Silenz in combination with its new high-fidelity MRI gradient and RF system electronics. This reduces MR scanner noise to near ambient (background) sound levels (close to 76 dBA) making a patient’s MR exam experience more relaxed and comfortable.

The Silenz data acquisition method uses gradients continuously, not switching them on and off eliminating mechanical vibration, thus resulting in a silent scan. At the same time, it acquires three-dimensional MR data, yielding isotropic resolution along with a very short echo time thus helping improve image quality and signal from all tissues of interest. A high fidelity power electronics platform ensures gradient stability and radio frequency (RF) required to avoid generating image artefacts during reconstruction. Further, the GEM Suite of coils helps maximise signal-to-noise ratios within the images by switching from transmit to receive mode within microseconds.

Dr Harsh Mahajan, Founder and Chief Radiologist at Mahajan Imaging, Delhi has installed the Silent Scan capable Discovery MR750w 3.0T at his Defence Colony Center a month and a half back. His centre is one of the few all across the world and the first in whole of Asia to have this innovative technology. “I have been a practising radiologist for the last 27 years. As a physician, I have always wished for companies to make the magnet larger and the device shorter in length as well as reduce the sound from the scanner, something which was considered impossible so far.” MRIs typically have a long and narrow tunnel. That along with the staccato like sound during scanning can be a terrifying experience for a patient.

To take the patient experience further up a notch, the MRI room at the centre gives a feel of a living room with artistic Rajasthani décor on the walls and subdued lighting. “The idea has been to give the patient a positive experience with a friendly environment, something that they won’t remember with trepidation,” he adds. It is easy to see that patient experience stands at the core of such a thought process, making the scan experience more comfortable especially for those who are claustrophobic. The centre which started two months ago sees 500-600 patients a month, with 35 to 40 per cent of those scanned for the brain on the silent MR. Scans for joint problems, spine, musculoskeletal, abdominal investigations, liver and angiography are also conducted. For 80 per cent of brain applications, the scans are silent, there are one or two sequences in the brain which are non-silent and are being worked upon. There are a few silent sequences for body applications also and a lot of work is going on to make all sequences silent.

The benefits of the technology are a boon for all including the patient, physician and radiologist. “We were pleasantly surprised that when we run these silent sequences they are actually silent. We thought that the machine will bring down the sound from a certain decibel level to a tolerable level, but standing next to the machine, with the patient in the scanner, neither the patient nor anyone can hear anything. Sound of scanning and gradient is taken off. Hearing is believing, way beyond our wildest expectations. For someone involved with MR for so long, it is a dream comes true,” emphasises Dr Mahajan. Talking about the patient experience, he says that those who have been through the experience earlier on traditional MRs, think that the machine is not running, with even the purring sound absent. “We have to reamplify that the machine has not stopped. The reactions have been consistently positive,” he adds. A quieter, less noisy environment means that the radiologist can focus more on the patient and communicate better with him along with reduced prep and scan times. Other team members such as nurses and anaesthesiologists can also communicate effectively.

The other major advantage is a wide bore MRI, shorter in length, offering the best of both worlds. The machine is also very fast since it is the most advanced 3.0 tesla ever made and is able to do a quicker scan. Despite the silent nature of the scans there is no compromise on image quality; rather it is enhanced with these newer silent sequences, which is a positive development. The machine is also capable of detecting liver fat quantification or fatty change in liver, which is leading cause of cirrhosis in liver. Summing up, Dr Mahajan says, “For us it has been well worth the money spent, with a smile on patients face relieving them of a traumatic experience, a huge reward for someone in the healthcare space.”