Singapore: GE Healthcare has installed Silent Scan, a MR scanner with reduced noise, at the National University Hospital (NUH), Singapore.

"Designing for the patient experience is part of GE's commitment to prioritising patient comfort," said Travis Monke, magnetic resonance leader, GE Healthcare ASEAN. "Silent Scan is a revolutionary technology that brings the noise level of MRI exams down to levels unheard of until now. We're thrilled to bring this patient-friendly technology to NUH to help improve the patient MRI exam experience."

Noise is one of the major complaints from patients who undergo an MRI exam. Historically, medical manufacturers have addressed the noise issue by using a combination of acoustic dampening material or performance degradation to reduce the noise level. With Silent Scan, noise is not merely dampened; it is virtually eliminated at the source.

"Noise and closeness of space are usually the two chief complaints from patients who have to undergo an MRI scan. It is good to know that we now have the ability to resolve part of the problem by providing a less noisy scan for a certain portion of the MRI examinations," said Dr Choong Chih Ching, associate consultant, department of diagnostic imaging, NUH.