Considering the need for new technology
It is a challenge many clinics and radiology practices face: in order to benefit from the latest innovations – especially in the field of MRI – a new system purchase must be considered. Future-proof software and newest imaging methods are needed to expand diagnostic capabilities and increase speed. Workflow and comfort for patients and staff need to be improved. But the question is how to install a new system without having to shut down your practice for weeks? How do you get by not being able to scan any patients, having to postpone exams to a later date, and having to accept the associated economic losses?
These questions weighed heavily on radiologist Martin Kollerer. Together with Dr. Margit Purucker, he runs a radiological practice in Marktredwitz in Germany. Since 2002, he has been working with Philips solutions, including the Ingenia 1.5T MRI scanner. “A reliable, stable system,” he says. But it was time to expand functionality.
Dr. Kollerer wanted to take advantage of recent advancements and make them accessible to his patients and staff. “Technology is constantly evolving towards enabling both faster examinations and higher quality images, as well as an increasing focus on the patient,” he says. However, an MRI scanner cannot typically be replaced just like that. A magnet weighing more than three tons can only be changed with great effort. Walls or ceilings may have to be lifted and a heavy-duty crane brought in to take the magnet in or out of the building. In addition, the magnet that has been in use in the Marktredwitz practice for several years, is still far from outdated. “Replacing it would have been neither economical nor sustainable,” says Dr. Kollerer.