by
Keri Stephens, Contributing Reporter | February 11, 2026
“A scanner might cost $1.5 million, but construction can easily add another $1 million,” Harvey says. “Rebuilding on-site avoids much of that.”
Over the past four years, Harvey says MR volume at URMC has doubled, with better images and faster scans.
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That matters for patients, Harvey says. “MR exams are loud, confining, and can feel claustrophobic. If you reduce a scan from 30 minutes to 20, it’s much easier for patients to stay still, which directly improves image quality and patient experience.”
The rebuilt systems, she adds, are now fully state of the art, with speed and resolution comparable to newly installed scanners.
Sustainability with financial weight
Radiology is among healthcare’s most energy-intensive specialties. One MR scanner alone can use as much electricity each year as more than 10 U.S. households. By avoiding full replacement, URMC estimates it will prevent roughly 288 tons of carbon emissions across six scanners.
When the work is complete, up to 96% of system components will be reused or recycled, conserving six tons of scarce liquid helium used to cool MR magnets, while AI-driven workflows will slash scanner energy use by roughly 30%.
“There’s a significant environmental impact that people don’t always see,” Weinberg says. “There are hazardous materials involved. Keeping those systems intact instead of disposing of them matters.”
Harvey concurs, adding that in some cases three scanners can be upgraded for the cost of replacing one.
“New equipment will always be needed,” Harvey says. “But rebuilding strengthens the relationship with vendors who support what’s already in place.” After all, she says, progress doesn’t always mean brand new machines.
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Steven Ford
Rebuild of MRI
March 03, 2026 02:17
One overlooked option for older MRIs is to reevaluate the scan protocols. An MRI is a software controlled data acquisition device, and although it takes some work, a lot can be done to optimize speed and image diagnostic quality in most scanners. Frequently, this is given insufficient attention; in my experience, over 90 percent of sites have sequences incorporating wasted time that does little or nothing to improve image quality. For example, transverse knee images that have No Phase Wrap enabled, which adds about 50% to the scan time but makes images indistinguishable from scans without this enabled.
Besides 'obvious' problems like this, frequently the radiology staff is not the same as when the scanner was commissioned, say ten years ago. Their preferences may have changed, or newer best-practices techniques may now be available.
For an investment of a couple days with an expert, real differences can be made. It also improves morale with the MRI staff, who understand management's commitment to quality.
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