What should you expect?
A mother and her baby in the AIRIS® II Open MRI equipment. The procedure typically will last anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes, depending on the type of information required by your physician. You just need to be as still as possible during the exam. In fact, some patients fall asleep during the MRI exam. A technologist will be able to see you at all times. For your convenience, there is a built in intercom system so that if you feel you need anything, the technologist will be right there.

In certain instances, a contrast agent may be administered to enhance the study. There are no extra precautions if your doctor requires this. Consult the doctor or technologist if you have any questions.

What do you have to do?
A woman in the AIRIS® II Open MRI equipment. Notice how open and comfortable the AIRIS® II Open MRI looks. No special preparation is required prior to the MRI exam. You may eat normally and go about your daily routine. Continue to take any medication prescribed by your doctor unless otherwise directed. Consult the doctor or technologist to answer any questions you may have. Because of the magnetic field, you will be asked to leave the following items in a safe place outside the scan room:
  • Coins
  • Jewelry
  • Watches
  • Glasses
  • Credit cards
  • Hearing aides
  • Keys
  • Hair pins
  • Other metal objects
You may also be asked to remove make-up and dentures and to wear a hospital gown to avoid magnetic interference from belt buckles and zippers. Once you are situated on the table, make sure you are comfortable so that it is easy to keep still. Breathe normally. There is nothing about the procedure to make you uncomfortable. The only thing you will notice is a faint knocking sound that represents the changes in the magnetic field that are part of the imaging process.
A view of a man in the AIRIS® II Open MRI equipment, looking from the rear of the machine.Once the exam is over, the technologist will assist you out of the scan room. Because of the potential harmful effects associated with some metallic objects in a magnetic field, you should check with your physician or MRI technologist if you have had any brain, ear, eye or other surgeries or any of the following:
  • Pacemaker
  • Metal implants
  • Aneurysm clips
  • Surgical staples
  • Neuro-stimulator (Tens-unit)
  • Implanted drug infusion devices
  • Foreign metal objects in the eye
  • Shrapnel or bullet wounds
  • Permanent eyeliner
  • Intrauterine device (IUD), etc.
If you are pregnant, please notify your physician.