The document discusses the importance of proper coil positioning for optimal imaging quality, patient safety, and comfort during MRI procedures. It emphasizes the need to center the anatomy in the coil and ensure correct cable alignment to prevent patient burns caused by RF and cable heating. Additionally, it highlights strategies to prevent burns and the significance of monitoring patients throughout the imaging process.

1. Coil Positioning/Safety
By
Marie Thomas

2. Coil Positioning is important for
 Image Quality
 Patient Safety
 Patient Comfort

3. Image Quality

4. Image Quality
 The patient needs to be positioned properly in or on a
coil for optimal imaging
 The coil selected should be the right size for the body
part being imaged (ex. liver flex-body NOT Q-body)
 The part of the body being imaged needs to be in the
center of the coil, and in turn the coil needs to be as
close to isocenter as possible.

5. Image Quality

This Survey image is
in good position. It
has good signal
coverage, the next
slide shows the
image received from
this survey

6. Image Quality
 Good coil position
has given this image
nice even signal over
the area of interest

7. Image Quality
 This Survey is not in
a good position. The
signal coverage area
is too high. The
following is what you
get.

8. Image Quality
 An Artifact caused by
not enough signal,
poor uneven fat-
saturation. In order to
see the top of the
tibia the window level
had to be increased
dramatically, causing
the fluid to be to
bright and the
articular cartilage
unseen.

9. Image Quality
 This is a survey
Image using a flex-
body coil. There is an
artifact on the survey
images.

10. Image Quality
 The resultant Image

11. Image Quality
 The coil was
repositioned and......

12. Image Quality
 Artifact is gone!
 Revealing some
pathology in the area
of the artifact.

13. Image Quality Conclusion
 An extra minute or two to center the patient
properly,can make a big difference. A lot of
coils have a line to show you the center or ends
of its active area, have a look at yours.
 When you look at your survey, remember to
look at YOUR SIGNAL COVERAGE as well as
the anatomy. This will help tell you how good
your coil positioning is.

14. Image Quality Conclusion
 On sequences with lots of signal some
T1's you might “get away” with poorer coil
position but on Fat- Sat's or low NSA
sequences you wont.
 If the anatomy your aiming for is not in the
center, take a minute and reposition it
might save you ten minutes later on

15. Coils and Patient Burns
 There are two types of burns
 RF Burns
 Cable Heating Burns

16. Coils and Patient Burns
Cable Heating burns
 What can we do to prevent them?
 NO LOOPS (loops cause conduction causing
heat causing burns)
 Don't let a cable touch a patients skin/QBC
directly
 Keep cables aligned with the magnet
 Make sure any gating leads are properly
attached, no air in between and MR compatible
 Check your cables for frayed parts

17. Coils and Patient Burns
Types of Loops!
 Cable Loops
 Loops between cables and QBC
 Loops between cables and patients
 Loops within patient

18. Unsafe Coil
 Un-Safe Cables go across the main magnet
field by the q-body coil creating a RF antenna

19. Safe Coil
 Safe The cables are not touching the skin
(2cm)
 The cables are straight and going under pads

20. Safe Coil
 Cables go under pads

21. EKG Burn

22. Pulse Oximeter Burn
 3rd Degree

23. Coils and Patient Burns
RF Burns
 What can we do to prevent?
 Keep SAR to a minimum
 Put a pause in,some machines reconstruct and
scan at the same time giving continual RF
exposure.
 Keep in contact with your patient, make sure
they alert you if they start to feel warm any
where

24. Shoulder Burn

25. Tattoo Burn

26. Burn--

27. RF-or Loop burn?
 This patient was
having his thighs
scanned due to there
different sizes.
Apparently his legs
were only touching for
one scan. After the
exam, he complained
of an itching, he
stayed at the facility
and 3 hours later...

28. RF-or Loop burn?

These 3rd degree burns came to the surface?

What do you think?

29. Remember
 Burns can happen
 Screen your patient well
 Keep in contact with them during the exam
 Keep your SAR to a minimum
 Check your equipment
 Check your coil/cable positioning