MR System Operation and Safety

EVERYONE INVOLVED IN RUNNING AN EXPERIMENT ON OR AROUND THE LARGE AND SMALL BORE RESEARCH MAGNETS IS REQUIRED TO VIEW THE MAGNET ENVIRONMENT SAFETY VIDEO.

  • Those wishing to operate the MR scanners must also complete an MR safety class (see link under “MR Systems” on Imaging Safety & Operations page).  During the safety class, all new users are required to respond to safety screening questions related to their personal medical history to be allowed access to the scanners that they will be operating.  If you have any known medical implant(s), be prepared to obtain and provide medical records to aid in your safety screening.

MR Suite Safety Rules

  • Any researcher who uses a research Bay is responsible for the set up and removal of all items in addition to cleaning all surfaces and any equipment utilized during your scan. If the area is untidy when you arrive, or if equipment has not been returned to its proper position or default state, please note these observations when logging out of the bay. If you fail to notify the imaging core staff, you could be held responsible.
  • Any investigator wishing to import a pulse sequence from another site or planning to bring outside equipment in and around the MR environment MUST speak with and gain approval from John Kirsch Ph.D. before doing so. 

Set Up and Scanning

  • Only qualified personnel may operate the MR scanners.
  • Two members of the research team must be present prior to entering the magnet room (Zone IV), and they must be dressed appropriately in MR safe attire that will not trigger the metal detectors. During tech supported hours (M-F 8:00AM-4:30PM), one green and one yellow badge are required at a minimum. Outside of these hours, each group must have two green-badged staff members at the scanner at all times.  There is no technologist support on MGH holidays.
  • No one (including researchers and assistants) may enter the scanner room without signing a screening form for their personal medical history.
  • Subjects must sign the appropriate consent and screening forms before they are imaged.  The MRI screening form should not include deidentified information.
  • Within the MRI environment, implants can be classified as MR Safe, MR Unsafe, or MR Conditional.  The majority of medical implants are listed as MR Conditional, with limits set forth by the implant manufacturer regarding exposure to the MRI environment.
  • If there are any yes answers on the MRI screening form, one of the imaging core staff must be notified and will need to sign off on the form citing where they found the information declaring the implant safe.
  • It is recommended to screen participants as early as able, to allow enough time for imaging core staff to review and sign off on screening forms prior to your scan date.  This is especially important if your scans occur outside of tech supported hours.
  • All subjects are required to change into hospital clothing for their scans.  This is according to MGH/MGB Radiology Policy.  If you have a participant with limited mobility or difficulty changing, please discuss with the imaging core staff or email mri-time@nmr.mgh.harvard.edu
  • Anyone entering the scanner room must first “de-metal” (empty pockets; remove jewelry, watches, wallets, beepers, hair clips; leave pens, clipboards etc. outside).  Those planning to enter the magnet room must be screened using the handheld metal detector wand prior to passing through the doorway metal detectors.
  • There are Ferroguard alert systems at the doorway of each bay, if the lights glow red and an alarm sounds, DO NOT ENTER.  You should always stop and investigate the source of the alarm prior to proceeding.  There are no exceptions to this.
  • Hearing protection is required for those within the MRI environment during scanner operation.  Earplugs are provided in each bay to properly attenuate the noise levels during scanner operation.  Headsets can be added in addition to earplugs if desired for communication but should not be utilized alone as a substitute for earplugs.  If your project requires an alternate hearing protection method, it must be reviewed and approved by John Kirsch Ph.D. prior to use.
  • Conductive loops within the MRI bore have the potential to cause RF burns.  Double check wires on all equipment you use in the scanning room for loops that can increase the risk of heating or burns.
  • All scanner beds will support between 275-550 pounds.  Please email mri-time@nmr.mgh.harvard.edu if you are unsure of the weight limits for the system you plan to use.
  • There should never be direct contact between a subject’s arms and the bore of the magnet. It is required to utilize positioning pads (>/= 1cm) provided in each bay placed between the subject and the bore of the magnet to minimize potential heating/burn risks.
  • Subjects must be instructed not to cross their arms or legs during scan operation.
    • There are smaller positioning pads provided in each bay that can be utilized to prevent conductive tissue loops.

Assisting Subjects Onto The Scanner Bed

  • The scanner bed can be lowered for elderly or sick patients in most bays.  On certain systems where the scanner bed is at a fixed height, we provide MR safe step stools to assist while transferring subjects onto and off of the scanner bed.
  • The Siemens scanner beds do not detach and thus cannot be brought outside the scanner room. MR conditional wheelchairs and stretchers are available to transport non-ambulatory subjects into the magnet. It is important to be aware that not all MR conditional equipment is labeled as safe to use in the 7T environment.  If you are unsure of an items’ MR conditional status, email mri-time@nmr.mgh.harvard.edu or call Grae Arabasz if you need assistance.

In Case of Emergency

  • In the event that a subject becomes ill enough to require medical assistance, please follow these instructions:
    • Step1: 1st scanner removes subject from magnet.
    • Step 2: While subject is being removed 2nd scanner calls 6-5400 and alerts MGH Police & Security. There are laminated instructions in each bay with the steps to complete in the case of an emergency.  It is important to tell them the room number for the bay you are in which can be found on the laminated instructions in red including what your emergency is. Security will contact Boston EMS and provide assistance in the case of emergency.
    • Step3: Contact other support such as the CTRU if being used and mri-time@nmr.mgh.harvard.edu.
      • If the CTRU is covering, call the pager: 617-228-7429.  After you hear three beeps, enter 911+ the bay number you are scanning in and the covering medical provider will arrive ASAP.

Cleaning Up

  • Return all equipment to its original location on the shelves or in the appropriate drawer.
  • Place soiled linens in the laundry hamper in the magnet room.
  • Contaminated biohazardous materials (excluding sharps or glass) must be placed within the biohazard bin found in each area.
  • All sharps are to be placed in the plastic sharps container located in the magnet room and on the wall outside the control room. Sharps are never to be placed in any wastebasket.
  • All equipment and surfaces utilized during a scan are to be wiped down with Virex and Sani-wipes at the end of every study and documented.  Virex spray should never be sprayed directly on the equipment being cleaned to prevent damage to electrical components.

Food and Drink

  • No food or drinks are allowed in the magnet lab areas. The ONLY exception is that research subjects may have a drink of water prior to or immediately following an experiment.

Proper Footwear and Dress Attire

  • No open toed shoe, sandals or flip-flops are allowed in the scanning or prep areas. All clothing and shoes must also pass through the metal detectors without alarming so, no heels, boots, zippers or buckles.  If you have clothing that you are unsure of, please contact the MR core staff for guidance by emailing mri-time@nmr.mgh.harvard.edu.
  • No short skirts/shorts/T-shirts allowed. Proper, professional dress is expected in the scanning and prep areas. 

Broken Equipment

  • Report ALL broken equipment and equipment failures immediately to mri-time@nmr.mgh.harvard.edu. It is understood that equipment in such constant use will occasionally break. You will not be held responsible for normal wear and tear, but we cannot fix items unless we know they are broken.

Cancellations & Reversal of charges

  • If you are unable to use your scheduled time slot, you will not be billed for that time provided you cancel at least 48-hours in advance. You must cancel your time on the appropriate calendar here. You will be billed for the entire block of time reserved if you fail to cancel 48-hours prior to your slot.
  • The only exceptions to the above are slots that are cancelled due to extreme weather conditions (making it unsafe to travel to the center) or core system failures. In these cases, you must first cancel your time on the appropriate calendar and then send an e-mail to mri-time@nmr.mgh.harvard.edu providing the reason for cancellation.

All other SOPs, (staff pregnancy, contrast reactions, infiltrations, reporting of incidents etc.) can be found on the Partners website at https://hospitalpolicies.ellucid.com/home