Senior VP, RADIOLOGY-Planning Founder, Gilk Radiology Consultants Overland Park, Kansas
"You *must* swing the door out."
"No, you can swing the door whichever way you want..."
"But what about helium-free magnets? Do we have to have a 'doggie door' hatch?"
While MRI scanner technology is changing, rapidly, the information about how to safely and effectively site them is often sounding more confused and conflicted. This session seeks to cut through the noise and provide the most up-to-date picture of one of the most important parts of both maintaining existing MRI suites as well as planning new MRI suites... the quench pipe.
This session will describe what cryogens are (and why we need them in MRI scanners), and the special construction that is needed to safely handle the liquid helium that lives inside most MRI magnets if a quench occurs. It will also touch on changes in building codes that have changed the design rules for MRI rooms (including the door swing direction), and evolutions in MRI technology that may make quench pipes superfluous for some of the newer magnets. We'll even go through a four-step process for the manufacturer-required annual inspections of your existing quench pipe, including identifying recent manufacturer changes in design criteria.
Learning Objectives:
Identify the purpose that cryogens serve for MRI scanners, as well as the specialized construction required of superconducting MRI scanners.
Describe the changes in hospital codes and standards that have prompted changes in standard designs for cryogen protection.
Identify the sequential steps for a comprehensive quench pipe annual inspection to be used at their site.
