Advantages of 3 Tesla versus 1.5 Tesla MRI

Better anatomical resolution and faster image acquisition

Neurology

• Gold standard for study of the brain and spinal cord.
• Assessment of the central nervous system and highly-detailed visualisation of cerebral structures.
• Observation of brain function in real time. Detection of areas of neuronal activation as they occur.
• High degree of characterisation due to techniques such as spectroscopy, tractography and functional imaging.

Cardiology and Digestive System

• Complete free-breathing during abdominal and cardiac investigations.

Musculoskeletal System

• Exceptional anatomical detail of the smallest structures.
• Submillimetre resolution able to detect emerging cartilage lesions.
• Gold-standard technique for the assessment of peripheral nerves.

Breast

• Higher precision and better detection of breast pathology, showing lesions which cannot be identified on mammography or ultrasound.
• Very early detection of lesions, including in dense breasts.

Prostate

• More information on the size and location of the cancer, its cellular density and microvascularisation.
• High degree of visualisation thanks to multiparametric studies which not only analyse anatomical structure, but also functional behaviour, using enhancement maps and contrast washout.
• Optimal technique for guidance prior to biopsy and especially for the staging and monitoring of treatment.

Whole-body

• Considered first-line imaging for metastasis tracer studies.
• Higher sensitivity than gammagraphy for the detection of bone metastasis in advanced prostate cancer.

How does it work?

Magnetic resonance imaging is a procedure which uses radio waves and a powerful magnet, linked to a computer, to produce detailed images of areas within the body. These images can clearly define the difference between normal and abnormal tissue.

Before the development of new 3T machines, standard equipment was 1.5T, making the magnetic field of the 3T machines twice as powerful, and 10-15 times more powerful than open magnetic resonance machines.

Advantages

The image quality provided by 3 Tesla MRI enables diagnosis of abnormalities essentially affecting the CNS (brain, brain stem and spinal cord), the prostate and the joints (musculoskeletal system). The higher spatial resolution it provides also enables us to obtain high-quality images of blood vessels

The high-definition images obtained allow radiologists to differentiate precisely between benign and malignant lesions with much greater certainty, leading to earlier and more accurate diagnosis.

Our centre’s MAGNETOM Skyra 3 Tesla Magnetic Resonance Machine delivers:

• Exceptional anatomical detail, especially in: orthopaedics, neurology and neurosurgery, gynaecology and breast pathology, urology and oncology.
• Investigation protocols specifically for each patient.
• Technology which improves quality and the ability to reproduce images, helping to prevent the need to repeat them.
• The patient can breathe freely during abdominal and cardiac examinations.
• It provides multiparametric, high-resolution images of the prostate for detection of suspicious lesions.
• It also generates very detailed images of the breast, to detect early changes.
• 3T MRI incorporates neuroradiology as well as spectroscopy, functional MRI and MR angiography.
• It includes new functions for imaging of the brain (functional imaging), suspicious lesions (metastasis), and pathology of the breast, prostate and other organs, enabling interventional biopsy (stereotaxy).
• This investigation is performed with much-decreased scanning time at high resolution, with or without contrast.
• Spectroscopy to enable measurement of the chemical composition of tissue, and increase diagnostic accuracy of the condition of tissue in: the brain, prostate and spinal column.

Patient comfort, one of our main priorities

• More space for the patient to lie, with a gantry diameter of 70 cm.
• This extra space inside the scanner prevents the feeling of claustrophobia produced in classic MRI scanners.
• Lighting and music options so that the investigation is more comfortable.
• Personalised scanning protocols, which improve comfort during the investigation.
• Certain examinations are quicker with 3T, making them more tolerable for the patient.
• Considerable noise reduction.

Risks

There is no risk to patients unless they have an electrical or ferromagnetic device (pacemakers, drug infusion pumps, cochlear implants) in situ. These patients cannot undergo this type of test, as the function of these devices can be altered by entering an electromagnetic field.