New MRI Installed at EAMC

A new MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) machine was delivered to EAMC in late April and will be fully operational later this month. The official name of this machine is Siemens Magnetom Aera. It offers improved patient comfort and decreased scan time, resulting in next level patient care. The strength of this MRI is 1.5T (Tesla). It has a full range of applications for clinical routine scans and research.

“The new MRI is the same strength as the previous one, however it has newer technology allowing for excellent image quality and speed,” Melinda Johnson, Radiology Director explains. “Additionally, it has a 70-centimeter bore versus the previous machine having a 60-centimeter bore. This will significantly help reduce patient anxiety and claustrophobia.”

With the new MRI, the fleet of MRIs available for EAMC patients now includes the new 1.5T Siemens Magnetom Aera at EAMC, a 1.5T Siemens Espree at Auburn Diagnostic Imaging, a 1.5T Siemens Aera at EAMC-Lanier in Valley and a 3.0 Siemens Verio at the AU MRI office in the Auburn Research Center.

Installation of the new MRI was completed last week. Radiology technologists are involved in application training with Siemens this week to learn about the scanner and build protocols in the machine. “The newer technology will provide excellent image quality and decreased scan time,” Johnson explains. “The decreased scan time along with the larger bore will provide improved patient experience.”

The 1.5T Siemens Aera at EAMC-Lanier was installed in 2019. “We are thrilled about the new technology and the standardization that these scanners bring to our operations,” Johnson says.