Installing highly sensitive MRI machines that weigh as much as an elephant in a small South African clinic — Photos
Western Cape private radiology practice SCP Radiology has embarked on a year-long project to replace three Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machines across clinics in the province.
Moving and installing MRI machines is far more complex than moving any other piece of hospital or healthcare equipment.
It requires a carefully orchestrated process, with meticulous planning and structural assessments, to move the heavy, highly advanced, and extremely expensive equipment.
This is according to Tinus van Rooyen, business project manager at SCP Radiology, a private radiology practice in the Western Cape.
The practice recently installed a new 3.3 tonne MRI at the Louis Leipoldt Mediclinic in Bellville, Cape Town, with two more on the way at other clinics in the province.
MRI machines use powerful magnetic fields and radio waves to create detailed images of the human body, enabling radiologists to examine soft tissues, such as the brain, in great detail.
Sensitive organs and complex body parts, such as the spine and joints, can be observed in relative safety, without invasive procedures or radiation from X-rays.
“Everything is controlled by advanced computer systems, which convert signals into detailed scans,” said Van Rooyen.
The lifespan of an MRI machine is approximately 10 to 15 years. Ageing machines must be replaced with new technology to improve image quality and enhance patient experience.
Machines can also reach the end of support, which means that the manufacturers are no longer providing updates to the software or manufacturing new parts for the machines.
“It therefore becomes unreliable to keep it running. Patient care is paramount, as is minimising potential downtime and ensuring continuity of service,” he said.
For SCP Radiology, it recently began replacing its MRI machines with new, more efficient models that use less helium, a necessary resource to keep the magnets in the machines ice cold.
“The newer MRI systems use sealed magnets that, although having to be kept at a temperature of 4 Kelvin (-269.15° Celsius), require very little helium,” said Van Rooyen.
“They require no refilling during their lifetime, and improvements in technology in the new machines also ensure improved image quality.”
Over a month-long installation full of challenges
“Removing our old MRI machine and replacing it is not quite ‘all in a day’s work’. And our practice is doing it across multiple sites over the coming months,” said Van Rooyen.
SCP Radiology’s new low Helium MRI machine weighs around 3.3 tonnes, about the weight of an elephant, and is still significantly lighter than older model machines.
The magnets in the machine are about 60,000 times stronger than the Earth’s magnetic field when fully operational and can weigh several tonnes in themselves.
As for installing the machine at the Louis Leipoldt Mediclinic, the practice decided to locate the MRI on the first floor.
“The room is engineered around the scanner. Without shielding and safety systems, the images would be unreliable and the risks much higher,” said Van Rooyen.
This required building a platform outside the clinic, moving and lifting the expensive piece of technology, and removing the external wall for access.
“The installation of each MRI unit is unique and depends on a number of factors. In the case of this new one at Louis Leipoldt, we had to partly close off a section of the road,” he said.
“Getting the MRI into the building is a display in itself. Powerful cranes are used to lift the machine, hoisting it through a specially constructed opening.”
The installation required coordinated planning with multiple stakeholders to ensure that the project is executed safely and efficiently, said Heinie Matthyssen, SCP’s facilities manager.
Everything was planned to the minute detail by the SCP team, and they also had to factor in the weather conditions in Cape Town, which can be erratic.
SCP is set to install two more MRI machines at its facilities throughout the year. The Louis Leipoldt installation alone took 48 days from April to June.
From June to August, the practice will install a new machine at SCP Radiology Vredenburg, at the Life West Coast Private Hospital. The last machine will be installed at Mediclinic Worcester at a later date.
More images of the MRI installation at Louis Leipoldt Mediclinic
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