Three-D imaging allows better planning and execution of procedures like stenting and dilation of narrowed pulmonary vessels, Ringel says.

All radiation-based imaging equipment, such as X-rays and CT scanners, will use the newest techniques to reduce the applied radiation dose to a minimum. In addition, using the most sensitive, highest-speed CT scanners will eliminate the need for sedation in many young children who tend to fidget.


"If we can get an image in 5-10 seconds instead of 1-2 minutes, we may no longer have to sedate the child," says Thierry Huisman, M.D., director of pediatric radiology.

Inside the neurosurgery operating rooms, a powerful intraoperative MR scanner suspended from the ceiling on rails can slide easily between two rooms to give instant, on-the-spot feedback in real time. For example, a patient's brain can be scanned immediately after tumor removal, while the patient is still on the operating table. In mere seconds, the surgeon will know if more brain tissue needs to be removed.

All 33 operating rooms are equipped with cordless, tank-free booms for medical gases and suction. The configuration will eliminate clutter on the floor and the need to haul heavy tanks with nitrogen, oxygen and carbon dioxide in and out of the ORs.

Each operating room is outfitted with large flat-screen monitors and an audio-visual integration system that allows seamless interaction between radiology and surgery.

Thus, OR staff will be able to pull up any image any time from the radiology database. A surgeon performing a spinal operation, for example, will be able to reference past MRIs or X-rays without leaving the room.

Enhanced imaging capabilities in the pediatric and adult emergency departments will eliminate the need to shuffle patients to radiology for imaging and back to the ED.

Radiologists will be located on site in the pediatric emergency and adult departments with enhanced hours, and most of the imaging will be the done on the spot in the ED. Round-the-clock ultrasound and MRI will ensure responsible imaging by allowing the most appropriate examination to be used in every case, providing the best diagnostic information at the lowest possible radiation exposure, says Jonathan Lewin, M.D., radiologist-in-chief at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. For example a child's suspected appendicitis can often be easily confirmed with an ultrasound but because many ERs do not have an ultrasound specialist at all times, CT scans are often used as the first line of imaging.

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