The OASIS™ is an open-platform MRI anchored by two asymmetrical pillars that allow patients to have full panoramic views. The openness of this system has been instrumental in alleviating symptoms of claustrophobia and general anxiety.
To further patient comfort, Hitachi has equipped the OASIS™ with a 82cm-wide table. This table assists the work of caregivers with its motorized lateral movement, capable of shifting a 300kg person into final position for scanning.
Hitachi’s OASIS™ open-platform MRI has been adopted by Saint Joseph Medical Center in Beirut, Lebanon, making it the first open MRI with a 1.2 Tesla magnet in the MENA region. Since the arrival of the MRI scanner, Saint Joseph Medical Center has enjoyed an increase in business as more patients are being referred to their facility. The OASIS™ has also bolstered Saint Joseph’s bottom line with faster scan times—performing musculoskeletal scans in 15 to 18 minutes as opposed to 40 minutes with previous systems. This rise in speed has allowed the center to double the number of patients they can handle each day, moving up from 12 to 25 patients daily.
It was necessary for Hitachi to rethink the traditional closed-MRI systems, as it was a daily occurrence that many patients required sedation in order to be treated. Issues of claustrophobia, general anxiety and nervousness would cause patients to move during MRI scans. The slightest movement will deter the equipment’s ability to capture an internal image of the body, resulting in the need for a second scan. If a second scan is called for, patients are usually put under sedation.
This is the first open-MRI platform in the Middle East, and more are needed.
Mr. Mazen Hanna
CEO
Saint Joseph Medical Center - Ashrafieh
Hitachi has developed an open-MRI platform in which the magnet is supported by two pillars. Mounting the magnet this way gives the patient peripheral vision, which helps relieve the feelings of confinement. The openness has been successful in relaxing patients, but the first models of this new design lacked a magnet powerful enough to compete with a conventional closed MRI’s image quality.
Saint Joseph Medical Center was searching for an open-MRI system to enhance the care they could provide to their community. At the same time, there were no open MRI machines in the MENA region with a 1.2 Tesla magnet. Saint Joseph’s wished to be the first to possess such technology.
Oasis provides comfort and space to get the exam done without compromising quality, with less motion and less apprehension.
Dr. Naji Abou Mousa
Radiologist
Saint Joseph Medical Center - Ashrafieh
The center would use this new machine to grow their business and expand its services. It was the Hitachi OASIS™ open-platform MRI that was able to meet all their expectations.
The Hitachi OASIS™ open-platform MRI is fitted with a vertical field superconductive 1.2 Tesla magnet able to scan to 1mm of thickness. This micro-scanning ensures accurate diagnostic assessment of neurological, orthopedic and vascular conditions. The system comes with powerful post-processing tools, like 3D volumetric acquisition, which allows doctors to view the body from any angle, even after scanning has taken place.
The powerful magnets can tolerate cardiac scan, whole-body composing, abdominal work and function MRI. This negates the need for re-scanning because of minor interruptions, allowing us to attend to more people each day.
Dr. Naji Abou Mousa
Radiologist
Saint Joseph Medical Center - Ashrafieh
Hitachi has also fitted the OASIS™ with SoftSound™ technology to boost patient comfort and relax children as well as first-time users. The SoftSound™ feature reduces the knocking sound created by the magnet during scanning.
A further benefit to Saint Joseph Medical Center is the ability of the OASIS™ open MRI to treat patients connected to life-saving equipment and patients who are too large for a closed system. Regarding large patients, the 1.2 Tesla magnet is strong enough to produce diagnostic images through the thick masses of body tissue. In the past, large patients would either be referred to another clinic or sedated, as the confinement of a closed MRI would be too much for a conscious patient to tolerate.
Hitachi’s OASIS™ open-platform MRI has contributed to an increase in business and profits at Saint Joseph Medical Center. The center no longer sees patients going to other facilities; instead doctors from surrounding hospitals are recommending patients to go to Saint Joseph for MRI imaging.
Hitachi has the strongest field strength in a true open-MRI architecture, along with the latest software technology, to maximize the equipment’s potential in a patient-friendly atmosphere.
Mr. Mazen Hanna
CEO
Saint Joseph Medical Center - Ashrafieh
In caring for the customer, and assuring product performance, Hitachi’s OASIS™ comes with SENTINEL™ remote customer support. SENTINEL™ is Hitachi’s remote 24-hour monitoring program that checks for deterioration. Problems are automatically detected and engineers are notified, allowing preventive action to be taken before operations are affected. Monitoring of the system is done through an internet connection. A team of highly trained specialists are on standby, not only to track performance of the physical components, but also to support clinical applications and aid in resolving any technical issues. SENTINEL™ gives Saint Joseph’s the peace of mind of knowing that as they care for others, someone is caring for them.
Hitachi and Saint Joseph Medical Center look not only to helping those in need today, but to studying and developing better-performing medical machines in the future. This will be done in collaborative creation with Hitachi’s analytic solutions. Hitachi’s analytics will mine and manage the vast amount of patient data stored by the center. By sorting and examining patient records, Hitachi and Saint Joseph’s hope to gain a better understanding of how to detect common symptoms and patterns exhibited. An elevated understanding of an illness can facilitate a faster, more precise response from medical professionals. The company’s ultimate goal is to assist in facilitating superior healthcare in the MENA region.
Hitachi understands that magnetic strength is the key to creating superior images. We continue to search for ways to enhance the products and technologies produced by our company.
Hitachi’s open-MRI system, the Oasis, has been instrumental in providing better healthcare for the citizens of the MENA region.
Dr. Naji Abou Mousa
Radiologist
Saint Joseph Medical Center - Ashrafieh
Saving lives is a team effort. Doctors need the assistance of high quality equipment, images and diagnostics to understand patients’ conditions and administer treatment. Hitachi looks to do its part by expanding its presence in the MENA region, so other hospitals and clinics can provide exceptional care like Saint Joseph Medical Center in Beirut, Lebanon.
With collaborative creation, strong communication and coordination with its local partner, Cameco, Hitachi continues its work with Saint Joseph Medical Center through maintenance and service, and ensuring smooth, undisturbed operations for years to come, in order to provide the best care for the citizens of Lebanon.
Release Date: March, 2018
Solutions By: Hitachi Medical Systems Middle East S.A.E.
