Hearing Protection for MRI Exam?

Where did you have a 3T Vantage MRI done? I have called them and the company will not share where the machines are.

Where did you have this done? I've been looking all over trying to find a place.

 

I need an MRI (been putting it off due to my ears) and I was able to get some info from Canon. But I also found additional places with those machines just by googling and by calling up all the local radiology depts and imaging centers and asking what kind of machines they use. It takes some effort but probably worth it in the long run.

 

Can you please give me the phone number / department you called at Canon to find out where their machines are? I have not been able to get that info.

I have called lots of radiology departments, and have only found those machines in a couple of hospitals across the country, not close to me at all. What's more challenging is that it has to be a pediatric facility, because my son will require full sedation due to his extreme sensitivity, and only pediatric facilities do that (at least in my area). I live within day trip driving distance of four cities, but none of those has a pediatric facility with a Canon/Toshiba machine.

Even the places with them cross country that I've called, their radiologists told me that they aren't quiet.

 

I had an MRI session last winter. It was for the hand and you are in a "Superman" position with the hand above your head directly in the tunnel meaning your head is fully in the middle of the MRI tunnel.

I contacted the MRI Market Director of Canon through LinkedIn and he was kind enough to answer me with the locations near Paris in France which are equipped with Canon Orian 1.5T device.

He confirmed to me that any musculoskeletal MRI exam on the Canon Orian (new name of Toshiba Vantage Titan) does not exceed 85 dB which is why it is no longer legally mandatory to supply hearing protection for the center (in France legislation threshold is 85 dB).

However, I used Earsoft FX earplugs + a special MRI headset with no metal on top of that.

The exam seemed still loud to me (especially some sequences looking like jackhammer) but it was mainly due to my fear and anxiety rather than the noise level itself.

At the end nothing to report on my hyperacusis or my tinnitus.

FYI a friend of mine who did both an MRI with a Siemens 1.5T Area and later on a Canon Orian 1.5T confirmed the Canon is far quieter...

Now I will only do MRI on Canon device.

 

I used the West Region number from this link:

https://us.medical.canon/contact/regional-offices/

The lady I spoke to initially didn't want to share any information with me, but after I explained my situation, she told me that she's gotten this sort of request before and had some information documented, which she shared with me. What she provided me wasn't exhaustive, as I was able to find more places by doing my own research.

I know this isn't helpful for you in Texas, but for those in California, here are some places that I found that have Canon/Toshiba MRIs:

• Adventist Health
• Castro Valley Open MRI
• Pamona Valley Health Center has a 3T machine, may be louder than the 1.5T machines
• Pioneer Memorial Hospital (part of Scripps network now) have both a new 3T machine and an older Toshiba 1.5T machine (they said this was acquired around 12 years ago)
• This one in Las Vegas has a variety of Canon MRIs: https://sdmi-lv.com/

 

So I finally had my MRI done (thoracic spine w/ & w/o contrast) on a Canon Vantage Galan 3T. It was obviously loud but not uncomfortably loud. No noticeable spike afterwards. Hopefully it stays that way.