With MR scanners costing six and sometimes seven figures, they’re one of the biggest investments a facility can make. In addition to the scanner itself, there are also the associated expenses, from the cost of the install, to the service contract, to investment in staff training and more. But when it comes to spending that kind of money, it’s understandable that there’s a temptation to cap costs by looking for line items that might be tweaked.

HealthCare Business News spoke with professionals who have decades of MR service, installation and deinstallation experience between them to get an idea of the dos and don’ts when it comes to scrutinizing and reacting to an MR budget. In this case, however, we asked them to share their knowledge and insight regarding something most MR users never see — shielding. The irony is that although you don’t see it, a good RF shielding install with quality material will also mean you won’t see a degradation of your MR images.

Our group was presented with a list of questions and they offered advice for installs of RF and magnetic shielding, reuse of existing shielding and more. Read on to learn why it doesn’t pay to cut corners.

HCBN: What is the best way to insure a high rate of return for your investment in a new MR?
Carly Holloway and Onofrio Losito, ISTRA Corporation: Certainly generating clear images every day without having any downtime due to artifacts. Surrounding your new MR with the highest quality of radio frequency shielding will prevent such downtime. When choosing an RF shielding company, a customer needs to take into account all that a company can and should provide for them. A shielding company is not just providing a product, whether it is copper, aluminum, or galvanized steel, but also their expertise in the field.


Upfront costs can blur decision-making and cause us to be very present-minded and only focused on the near future. Oftentimes, when new MR rooms are being constructed, it appears that choosing a company that provides cheaper RF shielding is a viable solution. Judging a company solely based on price can often lead to more problems down the road. Will choosing a product that costs less today save you money in the future? Chances are, if it is an inferior product the answer would be no. Decision makers need to think about the opportunity cost of a day, maybe a week, of their MRI not scanning because of artifacts that can occur due to poor RF shielding.


Mike Profeta, Magnetic Resonance Technologies, Incorporated: Buying the most expensive does not guarantee the best product. I have always believed in building the best MRI shield possible, with special attention devoted to every detail to ensure it will never fail.


HCBN: If you buy a new shield, do you buy it from a major manufacturer or a boutique manufacturer/installer?
Dave Geiger, ETS Lindgren: That choice should be driven by the capacity of the vendor to support your needs today and in the future, as well as your comfort level with their quality of work and ability to deliver on time.


Brian Hills, Spartan Shielding: I would recommend buying from a qualified manufacturer/installer as opposed to a contractor that purchases an entire kit from a manufacturer and installs the RF shield. Dealing directly with the manufacturer of the product ensures that you receive the full benefit of any manufacturers’ warranties. For example, a warranty for an RF door may be void if it is installed improperly by a contractor. With a manufacturer/ installer they have intimate knowledge of the product and will stand behind their craftsmanship.


Corey Hess, MRI Shielding: Obviously, there is less risk involved when dealing with a larger company. You can assume the larger company is going to be around to service your shield if the need ever arises. The smaller company, however, can offer more flexibility with respect to lead times and is generally more accessible to the customer. As with any large company, deviations from plans must go through added layers of management for approval.

Mike Krachon, IMEDCO: That would depend on what the customer is looking for. The larger shield vendors can offer a variety of features and warranties that the smaller “boutiques” may not be able to offer. Of course, the costs to develop such features and stand behind the product with extended warranties will need to be factored into the price.


HCBN: If you have an existing shield and you’re replacing the MR scanner, do you buy a new shield or repair the one that you have?
Mike Krachon, IMEDCO: Determining the total costs, short and long term, to modify your existing MR shield to accept your new magnet upgrade is not a simple exercise. There are some important facts to remember as you are putting together your budget.

That there aren’t visible RF artifacts with your existing shield does not guarantee it will meet new magnet requirements. A new MR vendor will require an RF certification test of current shield performance to assure it meets new magnet requirements before accepting the decision to reuse.

An MR vendor will not guarantee new magnet image performance unless the shield meets the new system’s RF specifications. Minimal modifications will include new and/or relocation of MR vendor penetration panels and possibly new or additional magnetic shielding. Such modification costs will be dependent on shield vendor design adaptability. You’ll also want to verify the balance of the existing shield warranty and determine if the limited warranty on necessary modifications can affect future usage costs. Ultimately, diagnosis of existing shield problems may be difficult and expensive to address in terms of cost and project schedule


Mike Lahita, Shielding Resources Group: This could be a loaded question. If the physical dimensions of the existing enclosure are acceptable for the new system, then the first thing I recommend is to do a baseline RF shielding effectiveness test to determine if the existing enclosure meets the RF shielding requirements of the new system or magnet. If the enclosure meets the “new” S/E requirements, then I recommend modifications and or repairs. If the enclosure fails to meet the S/E required, the enclosure may only need a few minor fixes to meet the S/E required.

Diego Copa, SDI Worldwide: The first step is a baseline test to understand the current state of the shield. The second step is to understand the type of shielding currently installed. Depending on spec, these systems have different life spans and warranties. Third, is to understand the type and strength of the magnet being installed and analyze where the pacemaker line will be located with relation to the new magnet, in order to address the potential matter of magnetic shielding.

Corey Hess, MRI Shielding: Will the new MRI require magnetic shielding? If so, you will have to demolish some of the existing RF shielding to make way for the magnetic shielding. Again, marrying an old shield with new RF shielding can prove difficult. If the existing shield meets the required shielding specifications and size requirements, then retrofitting for the new MRI unit is a manageable undertaking. This scope of work typically costs about a third of that of a new shield.

HCBN: Why does an RF shield no longer meet specifications?
Dave Geiger, ETS Lindgren: There are many reasons. It could be building settlement, corrosion in the shield, wear and tear in the door, moisture buildup due to condensation or leaky pipes, and due to other construction workers in the area who may have been physically in contact with the shield after it was installed.


HCBN: What should someone look for in a shield upgrade? For instance, if they were upgrading from just an RF shield, should a magnetic shield be included?
Diego Copa, SDI Worldwide: The steps are similar to the ones they should follow for reusing an existing shield. The first step to an upgrade is what we call a baseline test — this allows clients to determine the current state of the shielding system in question. A baseline test is usually performed by a shielding vendor or a specialized testing firm.
The test provides the results in dB and must be performed in accordance with the future magnet attenuation specifications. A properly executed baseline test includes some minor troubleshooting in order to provide the client with the scope of work required to achieve a suitable upgrade for the new magnet.

Mike Profeta: When swapping out equipment, the existing MRI room will be tested for shielding effectiveness. Ironically, after all the work, decisions, and testing for when the shield was first built, most of the time its effectiveness has not ever been measured again until the replacement magnet is on its way. It is now that the customer finds out the shield fails miserably and they have potentially been dealing with somewhat compromised images. Perhaps noisier than normal or intermittent artifacts or a whole mirage of compromises that over the years have become the norm.

HCBN: What should customers look for when selecting an MR vendor?
Carly Holloway and Onofrio Losito: Having a wealth of knowledge and technical support is a key component to look for when choosing a shielding vendor. Can they tell what the problem is from a DICOM file, or do they have to go through a list of troubleshooting? The size of the company is also important and can sometimes affect how quickly they can get to a site. If their engineers are at a site installing a shield, how many days will it take them to send someone to service yours? Has the company you are purchasing from been in business for many years or is it just starting out? This is something to consider when looking at warranties of an RF shield — it is great to have a five-year warranty as long as the company will not be out of business by then.

Brian Hills: Look for someone that manufactures and installs their own product. Fast service is also incredibly important, since downtime means lost revenue for a facility.

Corey Hess: They should find one that is flexible, accessible, provides a high level of quality control and still delivers the reliability and manpower of a larger company.

HCBN: Are there any other important issues a customer should consider?
Mike Lahita: I would recommend that the user become more active when the general contractor is selecting the RF enclosure supplier. I also feel that price should not be the determining factor for the enclosure purchase. Another thing to consider is whether the enclosure being purchased can be expanded or modified easily in the future if a new system were to be installed.

Mike Profeta: An effective and reliable MRI shield takes knowledge, experience, and a deliberate effort on quality control to design and fabricate. Be certain that final testing is accurately performed. Have educated and knowledgeable individuals witness testing procedures and measure results.