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Pictured here is the main entrance to UHS Vestal
Where is the Brain and Body Imaging Center?
The Brain and Body Imaging Center is located within the UHS walk-in facility in Vestal (4417 Vestal Parkway East Vestal, NY 13850). It is located directly across the main entrance of the Binghamton University campus. On the day of the appointment, one of the researchers will meet you outside of the front of the building and walk you to the waiting room.
Upon arrival to the Brain and Body Imaging Center, the radiologist technician, or in this case our head flight engineer, will be responsible for managing the MRI room and taking the scans for your appointment. They will go over important information that is essential for ensuring a smooth and successful appointment. In addition, they will also make sure you filled out and signed the screening forms for both you and your child.
Our favorite lab assistant, Hector, pictured with what is usually worn in an MRI room
What Can I Wear?
Before you and your child can enter the MRI room, it is important we make sure that you have the right attire. Think of your visit as a trip to space, with your child being the head pilot sitting in the driver’s seat. Just like how astronauts are well protected from the conditions of space travel with their suits, we want to make sure you and your child wear the right clothing to make your visit as pleasant as possible! For parents, making sure you and your child aren’t wearing metal will make your visit be the best one it can be! We have scrubs for parents to wear once there. This will be your special “spacesuit”. For your child, as long as whatever they are wearing doesn’t have any metal pieces, they should be just fine! Otherwise, we can provide you with an oversized T-shirt for them to wear. We have a variety of options so your child is as stylish as can be before they embark on this amazing journey.
Examples of items to remove before entering the MRI room
What Materials Can Affect an MRI Appointment?
Any object that has metal in it can affect your child’s trip through space. Because of this, before we take you and your child into the MRI room, we do a pre-flight check and ensure there is no metal on either of you. This includes things such as piercings, jewelry, hairclips, watches, etc. We can happily store any metal object you may have with you in a safe location outside the MRI room.
Here is Hector soundly sleeping on the MRI bed.
Ready to Go!
Now, we are ready to go inside the MRI room! This is going to be such an and amazing journey! You, your child, and one researcher will be inside the MRI room the entire time. Before anything can be done, we will wait for your child to fall asleep. As peculiar as it may sound, having your child asleep during the journey is essential to the mission’s success. All lights will be off to ensure no distractions and a quiet environment for your little one to fall asleep. We would like your child to be in a deep state of sleep before we place them in the MRI machine, as we would not want them to wake up due to the noise the MRI machine makes.
This an example of the ear protection that will be worn during the appointment
Here is Hector with his ear protection and “space helmet” on
The Moment of Truth…
Your child will be laying on the MRI machine bed on his/her back with their head resting comfortably within the machine’s headrest. A researcher will be placing the baby’s earplugs and headphones to ensure protection from the MRI noise. In addition, your child will be saddled with a blanket and strapped down to help reduce movement and ensure safety and good scans.
The ride through space can be a bit bumpy, so we want to make sure you child is safe within the MRI machine. Once this is all down, a little space helmet will be placed on the headrest. Your child must be asleep before scanning can start, so we try our best to ensure he/she is as comfortable as possible.
This is a depiction of what it looks like while your child is inside the MRI machine
Into the MRI We Go!
Once everything is set, a researcher will have the MRI bed slowly enter the machine. Music or noise will continue to play inside the MRI room to help comfort your child as they fall asleep and prevent them from suddenly waking up. This procedure will last about 35 minutes.
All done!
Along with the scanning, occasional breaks are taken during the acquisition phase. Your child should still be asleep, so care is taken to ensure he/she is taken out of the MRI as quietly as possible. Once everything is settled, you both are good to go. You did amazing!
Our favorite explorer after his mission is complete!
For a more in-depth view of this procedure, watch the video below!
MRI_LongVideo.mp4Page updated
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