By: Dr. Philip Chao

Coming to work every day is a real pleasure for me. I love what I do and I am truly fortunate to have a facility that offers the best MRI technology available. Anywhere. We are proud to offer Delaware a 3T-MRI, something for which people would otherwise have to travel to Johns Hopkins or the University of Pennsylvania. And, not only do we have the most powerful MRI in the State, we also have the most patient-friendly MRI in the State—the most advanced, WIDEST OPEN 1.5T high field MRI. No other facility offers this unique combination of MRI technology. Our desire to do so grew out of our approach to caring for the people that come to our facility—some sent by their doctors; others who come because they have heard of us and want the best test available in the State of Delaware. It is actually quite rare to have a state of the art 3T scanner right next to a state of the art OPEN MRI scanner. Most providers are unwilling to invest their profits in such a manner. They prefer to force patients into the machines they already have, rather than make the investment that would allow them to provide high quality options. MRI is not a matter of “one size fits all.”

3T-MRI produces better, sharper pictures up to 4 times faster than weaker magnets. 3T-MRI really is the best way to do MRI.” However, if you are claustrophobic or a patient of a certain size, 3T-MRI might not be for you. For you, we have installed the widest high field OPEN MRI in the world. We feel it is important to provide the equipment necessary to produce the very best MRI for any patient. Larger and/or claustrophobic patients no longer have to sacrifice quality for comfort. And, for those patients that find even our BEST OPEN MRI too distressing, we offer IV sedation at no extra charge—just make sure there is someone to drive you home afterwards!

Many physicians are unaware of the power of MRI and how it can be used to shed light on a patient’s disease without subjecting them to radiation. Our BEST OPEN 1.5T-MRI scanner has advanced software (unlike any other scanner in Delaware), which allows it to find diseases other scanners miss. It has 18 channels of signal and can access up to 76 different surface coils. This is the most advanced multichannel scanner in Delaware. My 3T scanner has 32×8 channels of signal. Both of these scanners are simply the best in their class. Our OPEN 1.5T MRI images are superior to all other closed MRI scanners in the State. MRI has better visualization and characterization of ovarian tumors than CT or ultrasound. In most cases, if ultrasound gives us the answer, we can stop there. MRI is reserved for problem cases. Last week, we scanned a patient in 20 minutes on our BEST OPEN. The patient had been told to have surgery and that there was a chance she could wake up without her ovaries! The patient’s gynecologist did not know how good MRI is at diagnosing endometriosis. It can show the tiniest (2mm and 1mm) implants known to coat the fallopian tubules, uterus and pelvic side wall. In fact, these implants can even be seen on the liver or in the pleural space! With a special sequence called BLADE, combined with fat saturation, our scanner can actually visualize implants this small. This is amazing. Our scanner has another advanced sequence called NATIVE. This allows us to study blood vessels without using a contrast injection. This is the most advanced MR angiography software in Delaware.

CT should be used sparingly—if at all—for studying the brain, spine and even the pelvis. The same is also true for traditional Open MRI. Like CT, Open MRI is a very poor study and frequently misses huge abnormalities. “All MRIs are not created equal.” Advanced, newer technology and pulse sequences can make all the difference between seeing and not seeing an abnormality. 3T-MRI lets us see more clearly and the contrast effect is doubled. This very morning, we had a case of a woman with 100 brain lesions found by our 3T-MRI. Any other closed MRI would have done well to find even half as many brain lesions. Also, our ability to detect hemorrhage is at least tripled at 3T. Only one week ago, we found a woman with a hemorrhagic infarct that was missed on CT scan. If she had been given anticoagulants, she could have died.

Endometriosis implants – missed on U/S and CT

If you need an MRI, please have it done on the very best machine available. ASK how strong the imaging center’s MRI scanner is. 3T is twice as good. ASK your doctor if you really need to be subjected to the high amounts of radiation used by CT. ASK if an MRI (or some other test) could provide the same information. You have a right to know and you are entitled to the very best technology available. Especially as a good MRI costs no more than a bad MRI. Having your MRI done on a less powerful, inferior, machine—which can miss things—could well result in being sent for a second scan on a better, more powerful machine to confirm the results. A waste of time and money. Start with the best. Use 3T-MRI. (www.3t-mri.net). If you are claustrophobic or up to 550 pounds, consider our BEST OPEN high field MRI with the widest opening in the world (www.bestopenmri.net). One last point: if you have an MRI requiring an injection of contrast, ASK what kind of contrast the imaging center uses. Some are safer than their less expensive counterparts. Make sure you get the safest. (www.safecontrast.com). Also, the more powerful the magnet, the less contrast is needed to get good results. Using contrast can require checking your kidney function. Our facility is equipped with the necessary equipment to do this without a special trip to a laboratory to have blood drawn, and without having to wait for the results before finding out if you can actually even have the MRI with contrast. We can find this out in mere minutes. Normally a $50 test, we offer it for FREE because we believe in making things easy for the patient. If you need an MRI, you already have enough on your mind.

Dr. Philip Chao graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Yale University and was Scholar of the House. He continued his studies at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, receiving his medical degree in 1983. After a transitional internship year at the Mary Imogene Bassett Hospital in Cooperstown NY, Dr. Chao did his residency in Radiology at Brooklyn’s SUNY Health Science Center (1984-1987), where he became Chief Resident. He stayed on to complete a fellowship in Neuroradiology (1987-1988). Dr. Chao has been interested in MRI technology since its very beginning—the first MRI scan took place in 1981 while he was pursuing his medical studies. The University of Pennsylvania, where Dr. Chao was both a Body MRI Fellow (1988-1990) and a Neuroradiology Fellow (1989-1990), was at the heart of the development of this technology and Dr. Chao was able to work with pioneers in MRI on the first GE Signa 1.5T (tesla) scanner. His advanced research and specializations complete, Dr. Chao left the University of Pennsylvania for a position as Director of MRI in Wilmington DE—a position he held for 14 years. Dr. Chao eventually left that position to create the best MRI center in Delaware, using the very latest technology: 3T MRI. While 3T (tesla) scanners have been used for scanning research patients since 2002, these advanced, more powerful MRI scanners only became available for clinical use in 2004. Dr. Chao worked hard to bring 3T technology to Delaware and in February 2007, MRI Consultants, LLC began operating the first 3T scanner in the State. 3T is the newest horizon for MRI.

For more information, contact MRI Consultants at 302.295.3367 or 302.295.0467.