'We’re glad to have it for our patients'
CAROLYN BOSTICK | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 7 months, 1 week AGO
Shoshone Medical Center has a new MRI machine. SMC radiology manager Casey Winchel said the new equipment is "Quieter, it’s roomier, it’s more comfortable, it’s faster, all the things you want if you’re the person being stuck in there."
Photo courtesy of Shoshone Medical Center
Carolyn Bostick has worked for the Coeur d’Alene Press since June 2023. She covers Shoshone County and Coeur d'Alene. Carolyn previously worked in Utica, New York at the Observer-Dispatch for almost seven years before briefly working at The Inquirer and Mirror in Nantucket, Massachusetts. Since she moved to the Pacific Northwest from upstate New York in 2021, she's performed with the Spokane Shakespeare Society for three summers. | April 9, 2024 1:00 AM
KELLOGG — Shoshone Medical Center recently acquired an updated MRI machine, a Canon Orion.
The old machine was 11 years old and took about 20 minutes or more to capture data during a patient’s scan. Radiology manager Casey Winchel said the new machine’s A.I. noise reduction software has lowered scan times.
“The longer you’re trying to stay still, the harder it gets. Our average scan time is about 14 minutes, now, it’s significantly faster. Six minutes doesn’t sound like a lot until you’re laying in an uncomfortable position trying to be as still as possible,” Winchel said.
The MRI machine and the construction involved to accommodate it into the hospital cost about $1 million all together.
SMC CEO Paul Lewis said he’s excited about the improvement to the quality of care.
“We’re glad to have it for our patients. it’s always important that we have really outstanding technology for the care we can provide,” Lewis said.
The model has been given the nickname “the quietest magnet on the market.”
“They’re all loud and this one is loud, but by MRI standards, it’s much quieter and patients can relax and enjoy their favorite music during their scan,” Winchel said.
Lighting is built into the equipment and image quality is better. The scanning surface is padded for more comfort and can also accommodate larger patients.
“Movement is the enemy. It’s easier for patients to hold still being more comfortable. It’s not like sleeping on your own bed but comparatively it’s a vast improvement,” Winchel said.
With the old MRI equipment, patients needed to hold their breath in order to capture a less blurry MRI image. For the elderly or individuals with respiratory issues, they now can do free breathing.
“We’re able to scan them while they breathe and that monitors their respiratory cycle and scans the same part of that respiratory cycle,” Winchel said.
The equipment took about eight weeks to install, required a short training period and has been in operation for more than a month.
“It’s quieter, it’s roomier, it’s more comfortable, it’s faster, all the things you want if you're the person being stuck in there,” Winchel said.
