3 Tesla MRI system

A branch of the radiological private practice of Prof. Dr. Jürgen Reul and Dr. Axel Jung has opened at the Asklepios Children´s Hospital in Sankt Augustin. Core of the offshoot is a Siemens 3 tesla high-field MRI system – one of the best and latest high-field MRI systems in the world. It goes without saying that not only in-patient children but also adult private patients can be examined. Special features of the MR device are its high magnetic field of 3 tesla the big opening of the device.

This makes comfortable examinations possible, high definition images of very good quality and the reduction of examination time. The last feature is crucial for children and adults not being able to lay still for a long time.

Specific fields of application of the 3 T MRI system are examinations of brain, spine, joints, inner organs (especially the heart), vessels, breast, prostate gland, bile ducts or ureter. Also whole body imaging (tumor imaging, vascular imaging) is optimized. Even the smallest vascular malformations, tumors or signs of epilepsy or stroke can be visualized in a very high resolution.

Children or baby MRI does not only necessitate outstanding knowledge of children´s or babies´ anatomical development but also often a gentle anesthesia. Especially babies often have to be sedated in order to get reliable pictures without movement artifacts. The members of our anesthesia team apply a very gentle anesthesia. Please notify us if you need anesthesia. This holds, too, for adult patients needing anesthesia during examination in the open MRI scanner.

Advantages of the new 3 tesla MRI system in an overview

• very high resolution of images
• detailed depiction even of smallest vascular malformations, tumors, signs of epilepsy or stroke
• particularly high resolution depiction of neuo, heart and vascular system as well as joints and inner organs
• reduced examination durations simplify the examination of children or adults unable to lay still for a long time
• pleasant comfort while laying in the MRI system thanks to the big opening
• on-scene anesthesia team

What is MRI?

With assistance of magnet resonance imaging, or in short MRI, we can take anatomical and functional images of the human body. This way bones, muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints, vessels, organs and even metabolic processes or chemical compositions can be analyzed. In opposite to X-ray technique, no radioactive radiation is used to create the images. The magnet resonance tomograph works with a magnet and sending and receiving coils. The magnet and the radiofrequency coils activate hydrogen atoms in a way that they give a special resonance to be measured by the receiving coils. Based on the received information, an anatomical MR image is created by usage of powerful computer systems. Subject to the area to be examinated, receiving coils are placed directly onto the corresponding area. If you want to examine the head, you have to surround the head by a coil. If you want to analyze a knee, a special coil around the knee is used etc.

MRI is not harmful according to state-of-the-art science reports and can be carried out without hesitation. There are some contraindication, which means reasons against the application of an MRI examination. Patients have to fill in a questionnaire before any MR examination for this reason in order to be sure that MRI can be applied without any risk. The contraindication do not completely rule out the performance of an MRI examination. But an experienced physician must decide if and to which degree an MRI examination can be carried out. The following contraindication are differentiated:

• pace maker
• defibrillator
• cochlear implant
• ossicle implant
• drug pump / medicine pump
• ferromagnetic implants or metal parts in the body
• the first 3 month of pregnancy
• allergies to MRI contrast agents
• certain kidney diseases

In some cases, it can be necessary to apply a contrast agent intravenously during an MRI examination. The contrast agent enables us to make features of a certain tissue or vessels visible that would not be visible without the contrast agent. Contrast agents are employed, for example, during MR angiography, tumor or stroke imaging. The MR contrast agent does not comprise iodine in opposite to CT contrast agents and is normally well tolerated by the human body.