View Press Releases

Sound Imaging’s New MRI Patient Motion Detection System Increases MRI Image Quality, Decreases Scan Times

September 4, 2018

SAN DIEGO, CA, UNITED STATE - Sep 5, 2018 - SAN DIEGO, CA - August 7, 2018 - Sound Imaging, Inc., is releasing a new patent pending MRI patient motion and movement detection system that will reduce motion artifacts, make MRI scans more efficient for imaging centers, and ensure patient comfort and safety.

Over 4 years in development, Sound Imaging’s “SAMM MD” (Safety and Movement Monitoring with Motion Detection) was designed to address a “wish list” of issues brought up by the MRI Staff at Johns Hopkins Medical Center.  SAMM MD implements patent pending hardware and software that integrates with the MRI scanner to:

Optionally pause the MRI scanner during patient motion or movement to help increase patient safety, reduce repeat scans and increase image quality

  • Visually and audibly alert the patient and MRI Technologist about motion
  • Remotely/locally alert and record anyone entering the one of the most dangerous rooms in a hospital or imaging center, the MRI room, 24/7
  • Optionally record the MRI patient during their entire MRI scan, as soon as they enter the MRI room
  • Allow MRI Technologists to actually “see their patients” in real-time with MRI-compatible HD video display
  • Fully integrate with MRI patient worklist so patient videos are time-stamped and searchable to help reduce potential future legal exposure(s)
  • Record videos that can be used to help with Technologist training to reduce claustrophobia and increase patient safety

In 2015, Dr. Jalal B. Andre led a team of researchers to study the added costs of motion artifacts to a typical imaging center. In their study titled “Toward Quantifying the Prevalence, Severity, and Cost Associated With Patient Motion During Clinical MR Examinations,” the researchers found that nearly 20 percent of studied examinations needed rescans, which they said could cost an additional $115,000 per year for just one imaging center.

“The results of this study suggest that the goal of reducing motion artifacts, and the related image degradation, represents an opportunity to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and improve imaging services,” said Dr. Andre in the study.

The SAMM MD progresses imaging centers toward that goal. What makes the SAMM MD different from most patient observation systems is its motion detection technology. The Motion Detection feature notifies MRI Technologists if it picks up enough patient musculoskeletal movement to create a potential motion artifact, thus preventing costly rescans.

In short, the SAMM MD:

  • Allows patient monitoring in real time
  • Decreases the number of motion artifacts
  • Reduces the number of rescans
  • Remotely monitors hazardous MRI room
  • Increases revenue with more scans per day
  • Protects from liability issues
  • Serves as an excellent training tool
  • Ensures patient safety and comfort

Interested parties should call Sound Imaging at 866-530-7859 to get a free estimate for their facility.  Also ask about Sound Imaging’s MRI Patient Comfort Suite.

For more information on Sound Imaging’s SAMM MD, go to http://www.samm-md.com/.

About Sound Imaging

Sound Imaging, Inc., is a leading designer and manufacturer of MRI accessories. Since its founding in 1996, the San Diego-based company has engineered a wide variety of imaging accessories that create a more comfortable patient experience. Sound Imaging’s products are designed to reduce movement during scans and lower the overall number of rescans. Sound Imaging provides a low-price guarantee on every item we sell.