Understanding CT & MRI Resolution
64- vs 128-slice?
1.5 vs 3 Tesla?
Let’s figure this out together!
CT: 64- vs 128-slice?
Providing the best possible patient care lies at the intersection of diagnostic accuracy, patient throughput, and return on investment (ROI).
Diagnostic accuracy depends on image quality—fewer artifacts and distortions make tricky diagnoses possible. Higher resolution can also reveal that what was once seen as an artifact is actually clinically relevant. ‘We are so used to artifacts on 64-slice that we discount many things. You have to look at the 320 under a different light. You can’t assume there are artifacts anymore. … We started asking ourselves if we were calling things abnormal when they are actually OK. It was really sobering,’ Higher resolution doesn’t eliminate all artifacts, however.
Patient throughput matters—the more patients that can be seen allows for a scanner to serve multiple specialties. For example, ’[t]he Aquilion One 320-slice scanner can complete an entire body scan in three seconds, and a heart scan without table movement in less than half a second.’ Emergency departments especially benefit from shorter scan times.
ROI for expensive systems is best addressed in busy facilities. ‘The University of Chicago Medical Center located its 256-slice scanner next to the emergency department. It is also used by several specialties in addition to cardiology. Vannier said this helps spread the cost of the machine and ensures it does not sit idle.’
Knowing the needs of your facility, staff, and patients provides a baseline for choosing equipment. Focusing on diagnostic accuracy, patient throughput, and ROI will help you make a prudent choice.
Quotes above taken from https://www.dicardiology.com/article/costs-vs-benefits-comparing-64-slice-256-320-slice-ct# accessed June 23, 2020.
We have qualified partners who are experts in CT systems who can help. Based on your location and your need, we’d be happy to connect you with the right partner.
MRI: 1.5 vs 3 Tesla?
Replacing an aging MRI can be a difficult decision. Much has changed in the imaging world in the last decade. Fortunately the fundamentals of your facility or practice—your practitioner needs, your patient volume, and your budget—don’t change. Start with them to make a considered choice.
- Practitioners: What do they need to image, and what resolution do they need for accurate diagnoses? Image resolution on a 1.5T machine is an inverse to scan time: longer scans provide more detail, shorter scans sacrifice quality. Accurate diagnoses thus require a longer scan. 3T machines can provide detail and shorter scan times.
- Patient Volume: Good images that require a longer scan can work well if your patient volume is low or moderate. If your facility includes an ER, though, that’s likely not the case. Longer scans, no matter how good, can be a bottleneck for your facility or practice.
- Budget: You have only so much to meet your practitioner needs and patient volume. Machine prices range widely, but they’re not the only consideration. Room costs, maintenance costs, and operator training all factor in.
A small to medium practice or facility with moderate patient load, average imaging needs, and a modest budget can do well with a 1.5T machine, with it’s greater availability, lower total cost of ownership, and high parts availability.
A large practice with a high patient load, highly specialized imaging needs, and a sufficient budget may find that only a 3T machine will do the job.
We have qualified & vetted partners who are experts in finding the perfect MRI to meet your needs and budget. And based on your location and your need, we’d be happy to connect you with the right partner.
Let us know how to get in touch with you and we’ll be happy to set up an appointment with a product specialist who can help you find the right solution for your need.
