Radiologists and staff at Carle Clinic will receive a new top of the line 3 Tesla Siemens Magnetic Resonance Imaging scanner. This is the department’s third high field  MRI, which weighs 28,000 pounds and has twice the power of any clinical equipment previously available in Champaign-Urbana. It will allow radiologists to further enhance their ability to diagnose patients. 

“The 3T will help physicians and staff in their clinical work, and will also allow us to expand research collaboration with the Beckman Imaging Center at the University of Illinois Beckman Institute,” explained Carle Clinic Radiologist Dr. Thomas Kim.

To accommodate the major construction project, Carle Security will close the main entrance to Carle Clinic and Carle Hospital overnight Tuesday, March 21, 2006 from 5:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. Workers will divert patients through the south door of the main entrance. Patients will be able to use the parking garage as usual. However, Orchard St. on the Carle campus will be blocked to traffic, while workers deliver the 3T scanner. 

The project is unique in that the magnet is such a large piece of equipment it must be moved by crane, through a special entrance in the building.  Workers have removed the ceiling in the path where the equipment will be moved.  They have built reinforced walls in the room where the scanner will be housed to contain magnetic field and radio frequency waves using 8.2 tons of magnetic silicone steel. After moving the MRI, the crews will rebuild the facility in time to reopen the radiology department Wednesday morning, March 22.