The Southern Hemisphere’s most powerful Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanner will arrive in Brisbane tomorrow (Thursday, January 22) for a project involving The University of Queensland.
The 18-tonne instrument, which offers an effective, reliable, safe and non-invasive method of “seeing” human organs, will arrive at the western annex of The Wesley Hospital off Land and Dixon Street, Auchenflower at approximately 7am.
“It is the first of a new generation of scanners worldwide and has proved a major logistical exercise to airfreight the magnet, which is the key component of the system, from Germany to Melbourne via Luxembourg and then from Melbourne to Sydney before heading to Brisbane by road,” said Professor Graham Galloway from UQ’s Centre for Magnetic Resonance.
Professor Galloway said the 4 Tesla wholebody MRI system would be located in a purpose-built facility at The Wesley Hospital and would be complemented by a state-of-the-art clinical scanner installed 18 months ago. University research staff will be collaborating with the clinicians at the hospital on a range of innovative projects.
“Proposals are already well advanced to use the scanner for research into neurological, cardiac and joint disease, with an anticipated commencement date as early as April,” he said.
“Discussions have also taken place for possible further studies in endocrinology and metabolic disorders.”
He said the arrival of the scanner was the result of a collaborative development between UQ’s Centre for Magnetic Resonance; Bruker Biospin-MRI GmbH, a leading manufacturer of research MR equipment; and Siemens Medical AG, cutting-edge manufacturers of clinical MRI systems.
The Centre for Magnetic Resonance’s role in the collaborative project also involves the development and possible commercialisation of new hardware and software to maximise the benefit of a high magnetic field strength.
The Centre is the most comprehensive MRI group in Australia and rivals large centres in the United States and Europe. Additional equipment includes a 2 Tesla MRI scanner at UQ’s St Lucia campus and a second 1.5 Tesla Siemens MRI scanner at the Royal Brisbane Hospital, making a total of 4 wholebody MRI systems, all with a significant research focus.
It also has an established education program for advanced training of radiographers and delivers courses electronically to students in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Singapore, United States, Australia and New Zealand.
Media: For further information, contact the Centre for Magnetic Resonance’s Professor Galloway (telephone 07 3365 4239) or Don Maillet (mobile 0401 713 973) or Joanne van Zeeland at UQ Communications (telephone 07 3365 2619).
