MRI Safety Week, which commemorates a tragic accident in which a child was killed by a projectile in the MRI scanner in 2001, is the occasion for Imagilys to announce the official release of Patiencys, a 3D animation movie that explains the basic safety rules and, more generally, what to expect from an MRI examination.

Brussels, Belgium (EMWNews) July 22, 2008 — Magnetic resonance imaging is one of the most powerful and safest of all medical imaging modalities, but its narrow tunnel and heavy noise can frighten some patients and its powerful magnetic field has the potential to transform any metallic object into a dangerous projectile. The magnetic field strength in the MRI tunnel is about 100,000 times higher than the terrestrial magnetic field. Considering that the latter is sufficient to let a compass needle move, one can imagine the strength the MRI scanner can exert on ferromagnetic objects (see simulated accident).

Screenshots from Patiencys’s Movie

The provision of good information to both patient and staff is essential for the quality and safety of MRI examinations. Unfortunately, transmitting this complex information can take time and isn’t always compatible with the heavy clinical load. Accidents, often the result of insufficient information, can cause serious or even life threatening injuries. Moreover, in some innovative clinical procedures, informed consent is required from the patient, which in turn requires a clear understanding by the patient of the entire procedure that they will be undertaking.

Aware of this situation, Imagilys, a Belgian company specializing in neuroimaging, along with Dominique Fremond, a French computer graphist, have created a 3D animation movie that explains the basic MRI safety rules and, more generally, what to expect from an MRI examination. Using the most recent animation movie technologies, a virtual MRI unit has been created in which the patient is followed from arrival to departure. All the necessary information is transmitted visually, in an eye-catching and easy way.

MRI Safety Week, which commemorates a tragic accident in which a child was killed by a projectile in the MRI scanner in 2001, is the occasion for Imagilys to announce the official release of Patiencys. Its purpose is to offer patients an informative and entertaining waiting time, and thereby decrease the risk of such an accident occurring in the future.

The full movie can be seen on Patiencys’s website. It can be displayed alternately with short entertaining movies, and even be customized according to each MRI department’s wishes.