3T MRI Installed at The London Clinic Through Hospital Roof

August 8, 2018 — Patients at The London Clinic, a private hospital and charity, will be the first in the United Kingdom to access the latest Siemens magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology in September. A high-rise crane carefully lowered the multi-million pound 3.0T MRI scanner through the hospital’s roof on July 14.

A video of the crane drop is available here.

The London Clinic, based on Harley Street, is the first in the U.K. to install the new Siemens Magnetom Vida 3T MRI scanner. The scanner offers high-quality diagnostic imaging  to patients with cancer, orthopedic, urology and neurology conditions.

A 3.0 Tesla MRI scanner works by generating a magnetic field that is twice the strength of other 1.5 Tesla scanners that are widely available in other hospitals. The image clarity and detail is particularly beneficial for health conditions involving the brain, spine, musculoskeletal system and heart, clearly showing small structures or disease within the body, such as small tumors.

“We are proud that The London Clinic is the first hospital in the UK to offer our consultants and patients access to the new Siemens Magnetom Vida 3T MRI scanner,” said Al Russell, chief executive at The London Clinic.

“Our multi-million pound investment provides more appointments and comfort for patients and is a key part of strategy to support our consultants in accurate diagnosis to deliver the best health outcomes for patients. The crane installation in central London was a spectacle in the skyline and expertly managed by the project team,” he added.

“Our new MRI suite is located in our purpose-built cancer center, the Duchess of Devonshire Wing. The priority when designing the suite was patient comfort, ensuring we set the stage for our patients to feel at ease during their stay with us,” said Sophie Auld, interim director of clinical services at The London Clinic.

“This 3T MRI technology produces a higher spatial resolution resulting in better visualization of anatomic structures, and subtle abnormalities can more easily be detected in cancer, orthopedics, urology and neurology conditions. Improved imaging allows the early detection of conditions and can reduce the need for unnecessary biopsies. The new 3T MRI offering increases our hospital’s ability to see more patients and develop new services. Appointments are available from Sept. 14,” she added.

As well as growing existing services, the following new services are set to be introduced at The London Clinic thanks to the new Magnetom Vida 3T MRI scanner:

• Spectroscopy to measure the chemical composition of tissue, and therefore can increase the accuracy of diagnosis in conditions of the brain, prostate or spine;
• Functional brain imaging to detect minute changes in blood flow and is used to understand how an injured or diseased brain is functioning, or detect early onset Alzheimer’s;
• Prostate 3.0T MRI to detect small tumors which may otherwise go undetected, and also in detecting tumor reoccurrence for patients with prostate cancer;
• Radiotherapy MRI planning to detect head, neck, thyroid and female pelvis (gynaecology) tumors; and
• Interventional biopsies under MRI guidance to remove tissue samples from the breast or prostate for example, for examination under a microscope.

For more information: www.thelondonclinic.co.uk