Why do MRI machines cost so much to shut off?
In: Other
Because you’re talking about high-field or superconducting MRI — the biggest cost isn’t the helium, the turning off / on, but the lost productivity with people twiddling their thumbs for the 5 hours it takes to turn the thing off and on again. Also to charge up the magnet requires more energy than to maintain the superconductive state.
This could be made much easier and cheaper if we used low-field or non-superconducting magnets, which can be turned off within 30 minutes, require no liquid coolant, use far less power and overall are just much more user friendly.
Latest Answers