Oxford becomes home to the most powerful scanner in the UK

Date: 10/8/2011

In July the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford took delivery of UK's most powerful MRI scanner. Siemens latest and most advanced 7Tesla scanner is currently going through its final stages of installation in the Functional MRI for Brain (FMRIB) centre. This is part of Oxford University's Medical Science division's £4.75m investment in detecting and understanding brain disorders. The MRI is nearly five times more powerful than a standard MRI, turning this Oxfordshire hospital into a national flagship centre for neurology.

Chris Griffiths, UK Projects & Installations Manager said; "As with all large projects, Lupprians started the logistics preparation months in advance of the required delivery date. Many site and customer meetings took place to ensure everything was considered and planned for with particular attention to Health & Safety".

 Due to the size of the scanner and the location of the FMRIB, 650 panels of Trackway had to be laid to prevent damage to the tarmacadam surface by the 350 tonne crane required to lift the system into the hospital. All of this preparation was completed by Saturday evening, ready to the magnet's arrival at 07.00 the following morning.

Early on Sunday morning the 35T magnet arrived on specialist heavy-haulage. It was lifted and threaded through the readymade aperture with precession and accuracy, all to exacting timelines.

Our thanks go to all of our partners and colleagues who were involved helping us make this significant project run so smoothly.