Mednovus SAFESCAN MRI Safety Screening Tools Can Successfully Help Find Popular Thermal Heating Wraps Which May be Dangerous in MRI
Summary
To aid in screening for these hazards, many safety-conscious MRI providers use SAFESCAN ferromagnetic detectors to help identify potential magnetic projectiles, but can they find materials as small as the thermal heating disks in these popular self-warming wraps?A video which illustrates one test performed with the Target Scanner has been posted to YouTube, a popular video-sharing website: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6HoxdG6zv8 As illustrated in the video, the SAFESCAN Target Scanner ferromagnetic detector readily identified the package of self-heating wraps as being magnetic (and a potential hazard in the MRI environment) within the recommended 1-inch detection distance.Pass-through SAFESCAN detector systems set particularly wide, or those for which the adjustable sensitivity has been turned down from the maximum, will have a greater likelihood of not generating an alarm, particularly if the iron-containing heat wrap passes slowly through the center of the aperture.It is important to note that even the most advanced technology is not 100 percent foolproof and ferromagnetic detectors should not be used as a replacement for contemporary best practice pre-MRI screening procedures.The safety of MRI patients, visitors and staff are best served by the combination of conscientious medical screening by trained individuals and quality ferromagnetic detection products used with proper technique.