by Lorraine Anyango.
Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTH) received a portable magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanner. The first one of its kind in this region and it will offer outstanding performances and convenience to both patients and medical professionals.
The hyperfine MRI technology will not only improve timeliness and access to neuroimaging for critically ill patients but will also improve the safety of these patients, as almost 40% of brain-injured patients experience complications during movement.
This MRI that comes to you provides life-saving information to doctors treating strokes. The device can be wheeled down a hospital hallway and can be used almost anywhere by medical technicians.
This is a donation from the Bill Gates Foundation following a study being undertaken at JOOTRH. It will be used to calculate the magnetization transfer ratio (MTR) – myelination and brain maturity this is done while the infants are sleeping or still.
The machine was received by the facilities Admin Mr. Alex Ochieng who supervised its installation with a team of engineers from the facility led by Mr Mudhama.
Studies have shown that a portable MRI device can help identify such intracranial hemorrhages and produce potentially life-saving information, particularly in areas or scenarios where access to sophisticated brain imaging scans is not readily available.
The machine can be used to scan brain injury patients at the bedside, and with it, Neuroradiologists interpreting images acquired by Hyperfine’s portable MRI correctly identified 80% of intracerebral hemorrhages it also validates the appearance and clinical implications of a brain hemorrhage.
It also helps to diagnose and monitor head trauma and brain tumors and to assess brain health in people with risk factors such as high blood pressure.
The existence of this machine at JOOTRH will impact mobility and portability, in some cases, hospital trips or visits to the radiology department for chest, skeletal, and abdominal X-ray examinations may cause more harm than good to the patients, especially those with severe health conditions.
The portable MRI will help eliminate unnecessary transports and changes in the patient’s body position during X-ray examinations. The MRI devices stand on wheels and is motorized, allowing technologists to move the equipment around quickly, and may not even need an electrical plug-in for them to be fully functional.
It will also improve on turnaround time as Radiograph examinations using mobile imaging equipment offer less processing speed and eliminate long wait times.
Portable X-ray machines can take less than 20 minutes. Moreover, the results are accessed in real-time and can be sent directly to the patient’s physician, which is usually done within an hour, allowing immediate diagnosis and start of the patient’s treatment.
The portable MRI will also impact safety, as radiation exposure is one of the primary health concerns for both the patient and personnel in using traditional medical imaging equipment; however, studies show that there’s a significant reduction of radiation exposure in using portable radiology devices.
The shield mounted on the front part of the portable X-ray device protects them from scattered radiation.
Transporting patients is costly. Portable X-ray devices have potential socio-economic advantages by reducing the use of ambulance and taxi transportation, as well as personnel pull-out to accompany the patients to and from the hospital. Mobile X-rays help reduce overall costs.
The image quality is improved as well andPortable digital x-ray machines are equipped with high-tech features. This allows technologists to get high-quality images in a short time.
The laser scanner of the imaging device does not make use of a film, and it consists of phosphor plates and cassettes that can be effectively deleted after usage.
Technologists can also enhance the digital medical images that were taken out in the field, with the workstation connected to the portable unit.
This machine will provide patients with overall Care Quality. The efficiency of digital imaging technology has helped eliminate X-ray exam retakes and provide fast and accurate information. Patients and technologists don’t have to wait for the film to be developed (by an automatic processor, using chemicals and a darkroom similar to what is used to develop regular film photographs), and worry about bad image quality. With portable X-ray machines, radiologists and patients can have accurate and fast results, without risking patients to come to medical departments to take the exam.
