Drill being pulled into MRI scanner

Construction workers were using a drill to put in some shelves near an MRI scanner. This is what happens when one gets careless.

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• MRI
• magnetic
• force

[peterbandettini]

It's a 3T scanner

[peterbandettini]

Because magnets at these field strengths are superconducting, no added energy is needed to keep them "on" (unlike almost everything else that uses conductive but not superconductive wire). The currents are so large that the amount of energy (and time) needed to turn them off is considerable and impractical.

[peterbandettini]

Also, the shelves are typical for magnet rooms. They hold coils and other equipment for accommodating the subject. In the future, I agree it's better to build it outside the room and then put it in if possible.

[peterbandettini]

Thanks. I should have said the same some time ago. The magnet was not damaged other than superficially. If the object were too large to pull out, we would have had to ramp it down somewhat in order to pull it out, but did not have to. Magnets get "turned off" or ramped down all the time for relocation or for emergencies like this. It does not damage them.

[peterbandettini]

The main magnetic field is always on. To make an image, you create a gradient on top of the field. This does not require superconducting wire, and requires that it be switched rapidly.

[peterbandettini]

Yes, I know it's nearly unbelievable, but I assure you it's completely real. (I feel honored that this video has finally reached the level of attention for someone to call it a fake!). The field drops off with at least the square of the distance, so outside a certain range, if one is vigilant, it's relatively safe. The key to this is that this person accidentally let the drill get into this danger zone. The choppiness of the video is because the camera refresh rate was extremely slow.

[zinkmann221]

@peterbandettini unless u have to quench the magnet, i heard thats about 100k to refill lol

[vSxScopeZz]

nice slide show......

[arohn2007]

@peterbandettini Yeah, I think I heard once it takes a full day to power down a MRI scanner

[ZionistCensorship]

wtf happend? sum1 explain

[redshaftedflicker]

@TTM77 You have a great point, especially if the detector could specifically identify objects containing iron only. The hang up is that if it didn't, the damn thing would be going off continually--ex. patient prosthetics, metal buttons on clothing, hooks on bras, etc.

[dianitapilla]

Nothing is happening ¬¬' or at least nothing can be seen

[mrsru3]

Oh those poor idiots. I assume they'd have to quench the MRI magnet?

[mrsru3]

@TTM77 It's called hospital funding. Plus, the radiographers should be vigilant enough when they prep the patient. (I am a radiographer)

[LukeL007]

Remember the main magnet is always on. It is a super conductor, so once it is on, provided that the coil remains just above absolute zero no external power source is needed once it gets to its operating power.

[nzoomed]

its actually quite hard to see whats going on.