WHAT IS MEG?: MEG Site Planning

MEG Site Planning

As with all major medical equipment, consideration of the site in which the MEG system will be installed begins early in the evaluation process. 4-D sales, applications and service people work with prospective customers from the beginning to select the optimum site within their institution. A detailed Site Planing Guide is provided for this purpose.

A typical MEG clinical installation requires a minimum of 500 sq. ft. of floor space, and 800-1,000 sq. ft. is optimal. Due to the size and weight of he Magnetically Shielded Room (MSR), floor-loading constraints and ceiling heights must also be considered. In most institutions, suitable space is readily found. Due to floor-loading requirements, the best sites are often located on the ground or basement floor, however, this is not necessary, and MEG systems are often installed on upper floors.

A typical Magnes 2500 MEG system installation.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Because of the exquisite sensitivity of the MEG system for detecting magnetic signals from the brain, it also can detect other sources of magnetic activity that penetrate the walls of the MSR. The MSR and noise cancellation features of the MEG system can easily handle normal urban and institutional interference. However, even better performance can be realized if a site with minimal interference is selected. Thus, one of the first steps is a review of building plans to identify potential sources of magnetic interference, such as elevators, pumps, electrical transformers and hallway traffic. Even external sources such as parking lots, streets or mass transit routes should be identified.

Building floor plans should be examined to locate sources of potential magnetic interference.

As part of the standard 4-D planning process, 4-D engineers routinely perform site surveys at locations being considered for the installation of an MEG system. The magnetic noice and vibration levels at the proposed sites are measured, and the results are evaluated in an MSR using 4-D proprietary noise reduction methods. Site surveys typically take two days and involve overnight measurements. With the survey results in hand, the 4-D engineers work with the institution to plan the best possible installation. Sample results of a site survey are shown.

Results of a 4-D site survey showing measured magnitudes of magnetic fields at the site, along with predicted performance of the MSR and ultimate performance of the MEG system.

In preparation for the system installation, 4-D Customer Service engineers willw ork with the building and facilties personnel at the institution to create the optimum floor plan for the final site. An example floor plan is shown.

Sample floor plans are developed by 4-D Customer Service specialists in collaboration with the building and facilities managers of the institution.

It is the resonsibility of the institution to furnish the finished open space for the installation, with specified access for electrical power, air conditioning, etc. The installation of the MSR and MEG system is handled completely by 4-D Customer Service personnel. The installation typically takes 4 to 6 weeks. Views of a finished installation at the University of Alabama, Birmingham are shown.

Click here to see multiple views.

4-D Neuroimaging®,®, and Magnes®
are trademarks of 4-D Neuroimaging.