We Perform Less Services Because We Strive To Master Our Skills In Medical Diagnostic Imaging
SERVING OUR PATIENTS
We ONLY perform a handful of imaging services because we believe in quality over quantity.
We do not wish to be the “Jack of All Trades” Imaging center. We prefer to offer a handful of services and perform them to the best of our abilities.
GE 3T HIGHFIELD MRI
The 3T HighField MRI is a very high quality imaging system. Twice as strong as a 1.5T MRI magnet and 3 + times more expensive. There are a few special exams the 3T MRI can do that the 1.5T scanners can’t. The 3T scanners can do specialized 3D prostate scans, brain function studies and specialized Alzheimer’s scans. The machine has a table weight limit of 350Lbs.
As far as all the other scans that can be performed on a 3T MRI can also be performed on 1.5T MRIs with the same level of quality. We manage patients with claustrophobia very well because of the size of our system and patient comfort upgrades like music and patient cooling fan system. For music, we use Pandora which has a multitude of stations to make you feel right at home.
SEIMENS 32 CHANNEL AND PHILIPS ACHIEVA “ULTRA SHORT BORE” 1.5T HIGHFIELD MRI
Our 1.5T HighField MRI systems are very high quality imaging systems. They reduce the amount of Claustrophobic issues due to its size and footprint. This means that the center of the magnet is just 2 feet inside, so if you are scanning any body part below the waist, your head will most likely be outside the machine. Most other HighField MRIs are longer in depth. It is also wider than most other systems which can accommodate people with wide shoulders. Our machine has a table weight limit of 350Lbs.
We manage patients with claustrophobia very well because of the size of our system and patient comfort upgrades like music and patient cooling fan system. For music, we use Pandora which has a multitude of stations to make you feel right at home.
GE PROFILE III OPEN MRI & HITACHI AIRES OPEN MRI
Both of these Open MRIs are the workhorses of the traditional Open MRIs in the US and Throughout the world today. The GE Profile III boasts a table weight limit of 450 Lbs. While the Hitachi Aires has a very strong and capable .3T magnet. The open MRIs are not as strong as the highfield units, but produce diagnostic and accreditable images of All Joints, Spine, Brain and Some Internal Organs. They CANNOT be used for Breast Imaging and some specific exams, but we can help you find out if your test will be diagnostic on an Open MRI. This is due to the strength of the magnet.
GE 64 SLICE CT SCANNER
Most of our centers doing CT scans employ 16-64 Slice Machines. The 64 slice means that it can generate 64 images at once of a body part. This leads to decreased radiation exposure due to faster scan times, some as fast as 5 minutes. The machine has a table weight limit of 350 Lbs. It can scan something as small as .5mm. That is half of a grain of rice or half of a sharpened pencil lead. This is the same machine used for Coronary Calcium Scoring. Which can determine the likelihood of a heart attack due to clogged coronary arteries the most common cause. It is also the most common machine used for Bodyscans.
BODYSCANS
We were one of the first imaging centers in Palm Beach County to start offering this service to our community. Since 2000, when we began performing these scans our goal has always been to detect disease before it becomes life threatening.
Since we started performing the bodyscans, one of our first patients was the Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm. This was a gentlemen in his 70’s suffering from chronic back pain. Well, we found the source of his back pain and saved his life.
The brain aneurysm was a friend of the owner’s who suffered from chronic headaches for months. Interestingly she was only in her 50’s. If untreated this will certainly lead to an early death.
The Heartscan portion of the bodyscan which we also offer as a separate test is what is commonly known as “Coronary Calcium Scoring.” Our special 3D Imaging software also allows us to measure the density of the plaque in the coronary arteries. This score can predict the need for angioplasty or bypass surgery. Due to the thousands of scans that we have performed, we already know what score is good and what is bad. The other benefit of the Heartscan is that we are also looking at your lungs simultaneously. Initially, we detected lung cancer, emphysema, atelectasis and especially lung nodules that could turn into lung cancer. We were also able to detect breast cancer on a 35yo male firefighter. Yes, male breast cancer is possible even though not heavily advertised.
In 2008, after performing 5 sample scans for Palm Beach County Fire Rescue, we detected disease including cancer in 3 of the 5 sample patients. Because of this study we were awarded the contract to scan all of their firefighters. Over an 8 year period, we scanned over 2500 firefighters and 500 spouses. We detected all types of disease including cancer, aneurysms, coronary plaque, tumors etc.
We were also instrumental in creating “The Butch Smith Poker Classic” named in honor of Captain Garland “Butch” Smith who contracted multiple myeloma cancer and became the motivation for the fire department realizing and investigating causes of cancer for other fellow firefighters. We were also the founding fathers of the All In For FireFighters Organization that created and organized the poker tournament. The information and data generated from these scans allowed us to make suggestions for ways to reduce cancer exposures for the firefighters. The funds raised by the poker tournament also allowed us to help several firefighters’ financial needs while undergoing cancer treatment as well as donate to the Firefighters Cancer Support Network – Florida Chapter and the Quantum House for children battling cancer. We are truly honored and proud to have been able to help bring attention to this topic as it is the most prevalent disease among firefighters.
We Have Great Answers
Ask Us Anything
The MRI makes images using a magnetic field vs a CT Scan that uses Radiation and X-Rays to make the images.
The Closed MRI is commonly known as a HighField MRI. These systems can range from .5T (Tesla) to 3T. The most common system is ours at 1.5T. The open MRI systems range from .26T to .7T. Simple math will show you that if 1.5T is the industry standard for quality, then .7T or lower is less than half as strong as 1,5T. And the magnet strength translates to Speed and Image Quality. So, the stronger the magnet, the faster the scans and the better quality the images.
No. A closed MRI is still open at both ends. It is called closed because the magnet is a cylinder shape. This is different from an Open magnet because most open magnets are shaped like a hamburger bun. This means that the sides are open because the magnet has a magnet on top and one on the bottom .
The average exam length on our 1.5T MRI is usually less than 20 minutes. There are some exceptions depending on the body part being scanned.
Metallic implants created after 1980, when MRI became mainstream, are always Safe to scan. The only problem is that the metal will cause an artifact and in some cases the anatomy is not very visible.
The same goes for piercings. The majority of body piercings are gold, silver or surgical stainless steel. All of those are safe for scanning because they are NOT magnetic.
The MRI definitely makes more noise because it uses radiofrequencies along with the magnetic field to create the images. The CT scan has a little noise because the images are made by an x-ray tube which creates very little noise.
No radiation is healthy, however the CT Scanner uses a very low dosage of Radiation. You may have heard about radiation exposure in the past but no one ever mentions that every time you fly in a commercial aircraft you are also being exposed to radiation.
Basically MRI and Ultrasounds are the safest imaging exams to perform. This is because they do NOT Emit Ionizing Radiation. Meaning that both technologies are safe and because they do not radiate your body, in the State of Florida, there is NO Prescription necessary.
However, CT Scans, Mammograms, X-rays and PET Scans DO emit radiation and must be ordered
by a Doctor, PA or Nurse Practitioner.
Even though MRI is safe for every one and there are No studies that show any side effects from MRIs on pregnant women, we chose not to do them.
There are a handful of pacemakers that are MRI safe if certain guidelines are followed. However for the most part it is never a good idea to scan someone with a pacemaker. That is why we avoid taking that chance. So no matter what your doctor says or the company that makes your pacemaker, we will NOT Scan anyone with a pacemaker on the MRI. WE can do a CT scan instead.
