GE Healthcare has now gone to install its first Silent MRI at the Mahajan Imaging, New Delhi.

The company’s exclusive Silent Scan technology is designed to reduce MR scanner noise to near ambient sound levels and thus improves a patient’s MR exam experience. Conventional MR scanners can generate noise in excess of 110 decibels levels, roughly equivalent to rock concerts.

“One drawback of MRI scans is that they are loud, generating as much noise as a rock concert or an airplane engine. Noisy MRI scans can be quite disturbing, especially brain scans in elderly and children, and hence, since patient comfort is paramount for getting accurate, high-quality images, sometimes we need to repeat scans to get high quality images. With this new Silent MRI from GE, we are able to get exceptionally high-quality images of the anatomy the first time, since MRI noise is virtually inaudible and the patient is relaxed. We are the first diagnostic centre to offer this benefit to patients in India which is in line with the diagnostic centre’s objective to bring in the latest medical technologies into the country,” said Dr Harsh Mahajan, director, Mahajan Imaging.

Two years ago, GE engineers initiated their quest to reduce noise during an MRI scan and developed a Silent Scan Technology, a radical new type of 3D MR acquisition methodology, a combination of proprietary high-fidelity gradient and RF system electronics, by which the noise is not merely dampened but is virtually eliminated at the source.

“Silent MRI puts patients first. It is part of our efforts to humanize MRI systems and make them patient friendly and safe without compromising on image quality. The Silent Scan technology is co-developed in India by our engineers. While it is a boon for patients, it also potentially allows a healthcare facility to see more patients with fewer repeat scans or recalls,” said Said Dr Karthik Kuppusamy, senior director, MRI Imaging, GE Healthcare South Asia.

Silent Scan is available on new as well as existing Discovery MR750w with GEM and Optima MR450w with GEM systems.

Mahajan Imaging has six centres in New Delhi with installations like the standing weight bearing MRI, functional MRI, MR tractography, MR mammography, CT coronary angiography, 4D ultrasound with tomography, PET-CT, CT-guided robotic biopsy, digital mammography and DEXA bone densitometry.