convenient services that are just right for kids added close to home

Families don’t have to drive far to get the medical imaging services their child needs.  They are now available even closer to home, as Dayton Children’s Springboro Outpatient Care Center unveils a brand new MRI system that’s just right for kids.   

Magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, produce detailed pictures of the body, especially soft tissue, like the brain, organs, muscles, tumors or blood flow.  While Dayton Children’s Hospital has two MRI machines, many patients in the southern suburbs will benefit from the addition of one at the convenient Springboro Outpatient Care Center.

This new MRI uses the latest technology and design to make kids feel comfortable.  It's 90 percent quieter than other systems in the region and able to scan faster with a more accurate diagnosis.  The new ultra-short, wide bore design reduces feelings of claustrophobia. The opening is twice as big as many machines and the table is also shorter, which means less of the child has to be inside the machine to get an accurate scan.

In addition, this new system comes with tools made especially for kids.  The MRI offers special goggles as a distraction device.  Kids can watch their favorite movie in them while the procedure is going on and it seems like they are watching a 42-inch television from six feet away.  “Kids love this feature,” says Melanie Wilson, director of the outpatient testing centers.  “The procedure is normally over before the movie is and kids beg to stay and finish watching the movie.”

low-dose CT 

Along with the added MRI capability, the Springboro campus has also added a brand new CT scanner with low-dose radiation technology, making it just right for kids, as well. CT scans are a type of x-ray that give doctors a much better picture of what's going on inside the body.  They can be used to examine broken bones, concussions or other traumas.  

This low-dose software provides only the dose of radiation needed to obtain a quality image, based on the weight of the child.  In addition, each case is reviewed by a pediatric radiologist before the scan takes place, to pinpoint a targeted area, exposing the child to as little radiation as possible.  It's also fast - a head scan can take as little as nine seconds.

“Anything we can do to reduce radiation exposure in medical imaging is important, especially in small children,” says Elizabeth Ey, MD, medical director of medical imaging at Dayton Children’s. “As pediatric radiologists, we are very aware that radiation exposure has small risks and that these risks are greatest in children because of their growing cells, small size, and longer life expectancy. We consider each child and their condition individually in order to perform the most appropriate imaging study.”

expanded hours for services

Dayton Children’s has also expanded hours for ultrasound and fluoroscopy.  They are now available five days a week. Ultrasounds use high-frequency sound waves to look inside the body while fluoroscopy is a method of ‘real time’ X-ray that allows radiologists to see movement, rather than one still image.  Fluoroscopy is used for several different tests, including upper GI tests to examine the top portions of a child’s gastrointestinal tract.

You can find a listing of hours and services on Dayton Children’s website.

For more information, contact: 

Stacy Porter 

Communications specialist 

Phone: 937-641-3666 

medical imaging