Congratulations on the purchase of your new MRI scanner. Now begins the tasks of getting the MRI suite ready for delivery of the MRI machine. All MRI rooms require an RF shielded enclosure to prevent RF signals from disrupting the homogeny of the magnetic field that scans patients so careful consideration must be given to the proper preparation needed to install a high performing RF shield.
Depending on your magnet vendors requirements, you may be required to perform a gauss field test to determine the location of the 5G field relative to other sensitive technologies. The 5G field may require the design and installation of a magnetic shield to supplement the RF shield. The distance of nearby medical equipment coupled with the strength of the magnetic field all play a role among others in determining the necessity of a magnet shielding solution to contain the 5G gauss field lines. This cannot be overlooked.
It is also imperative that your floor be level within an eighth of an inch every ten feet. Failure to level your floor properly can lead to cracks on the finished flooring during rigging operations. A floor out of level may also make it impossible to level the gantry with shims during delivery. An unlevel floor can also make it impossible for calibration engineers to do a table alignment. Optimal has had to pour self-leveling mortar to fix this issue which delayed the mechanical install and led to the system losing expensive helium while the MRI sat without the cold head connected.
Here is a list of other factors to consider:
- Determine a pathway for the quench vent piping system to determine its design
- Find a location for the chillers
- Get a template to see if the magnet, patient table and rear pedestal all fit in the room
- Select a shielding solution that best meets your needs
- Determine a magnet entry path
- Account for a two-inch air gap between the shield and parent wall
- Decide what ceiling support you’ll need to install ceiling panels on the shield and if there is enough room above the shield for additional utilities.
- Make sure equipment room has adequate space for system cabinets
- Make sure to use special lights that don’t radiate RF noise in the scan room
In closing, contact Optimal Shielding today to ensure that your general contractor will be completely ready to accept delivery of the MRI shield. Optimal can also install the MRI scanner upon magnet delivery to prepare it for engineers to ramp and shim the magnetic field so you can begin scanning patients.