My Spine - Lumbar
Figure 8.2
This is a picture of an MRI scan machine. The section that generates the mag-
netic field is a tubular structure and patients are moved into this cave-like
tube on the table, which has an electric motor. The room is devoid of loose
metallic objects, as these would become airborne when the machine is acti-
vated because of the magnetic field, which is extremely powerful. Objects
such as the magnetic strips on bank cards are rendered useless by the
machine, so make sure that you leave these outside the room.
These machines tend to be quite noisy on the inside with all manner of tap-
ping and banging noises. These are perfectly normal and you should not be
alarmed by them. Some institutions will have earphones with music available
to reduce the noise.
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