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MRI Technique Specialist

CitiMed Comprehensive TBI Center -  - Medical Diagnostic Imaging Center

CitiMed Comprehensive TBI Center

Medical Diagnostic Imaging Center & Radiologist located in Midtown, New York, NY

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology is one of the most sensitive diagnostic imaging tests available. This safe, noninvasive technology is useful for evaluating a wide range of brain disorders or conditions, including traumatic injury, tumors, stroke, and aneurysms. Board-certified radiologist Dr. Karl L. Hussman has been using MRI technology to help patients for more than 30 years. At CitiMed Comprehensive TBI Center, his renowned radiology practice located in New York City’s Midtown Manhattan, Dr. Hussman offers the most advanced MRI brain scans available. If you’d like to learn more, call the office or book your appointment online today.

MRI Technique

What is an MRI?

Magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, is a safe, noninvasive diagnostic procedure that combines a powerful magnetic field with radiofrequency pulses and advanced computer technology to create crisp, detailed images of your brain and head structures.

At CitiMed Comprehensive TBI Center, Dr. Hussman uses the Trio 3.0 Tesla Scanner by Siemens, a cutting-edge MRI machine that sets a new standard in diagnostic imaging. The scanner’s name, Tesla, is the unit of measurement that’s used to measure the strength of a magnetic field. Prior to the development of the Trio 3.0 Tesla Scanner, the high-field standard was only 1.5 Tesla.  

Because this scanner generates a magnetic field that is twice the strength of 1.5 Tesla machines and 10-15 times the strength of low-field or open MRI scanners, it produces exceptional imaging detail. If, as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words, then the Trio 3.0 Tesla Scanner can write volumes.

What is a DTI scan?

Dr. Hussman uses a special MR scanning technique called diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to help diagnose brain conditions or problems that may not appear on a less sensitive MRI scan. DTI is a type of MRI that analyzes the movement of water molecules along the nerve fibers in the white matter of your brain to create vivid color pictures. Images from a DTI scan can be helpful in evaluating brain trauma, tumors, and damage caused by disease.

How does NeuroQuant® enhance MRI and DTI results?

To glean even more information from an MRI or DTI scan, Dr. Hussman feeds the results to NeuroQuant, an advanced 3D volumetric post-process software that automatically identifies and segments brain structures, measures their volumes, and compares the information to a normative database adjusted for age, gender, and cranial volume.

Once the information from an MRI or DTI has been processed by NeuroQuant, Dr. Hussman can view a high-definition image of the anatomy of your brain in its full, three-dimensional volume.    

What can I expect during an MRI?  

Although MRI scans are safe and noninvasive, you still need to tell Dr. Hussman about any health problems, recent surgeries, or allergies you may have. It’s also important to mention if you have a medical device, such as a pacemaker, as the MRI machine may cause it to malfunction.   

To ensure clear images, you lie on an exam table that has straps or bolsters to keep you still inside the MRI unit, and Dr. Hussman performs the exam from a computer in an adjacent room. The average MRI procedure lasts 30-60 minutes, depending on how many pictures are required.