The 30,000-pound open MRI is the top feature of a new diagnostic center

ALBANY — An open MRI, the 30,000-pound heart of the Samaritan Medical and Diagnostic Center in North Albany, was plucked by a crane from its steel shipping container Wednesday morning and deposited indoors by a giant forklift.

Morgan Machinery Moving of Portland handled the project. The MRI and related equipment was picked up in Grapevine, Texas, and delivered by truck to Albany.

The magnetic resonance imaging equipment is valued at approximately $1 million and is made by Hitachi Medical Systems America. When the medical center opens in August, the open MRI will be the first of its kind in Samaritan Health Services. Open MRIs are operated by other health providers in Eugene and Salem.

MRI technology has been a medical tool for years, but the “tunnel” system, in which a patient lies flat inside a long tunnel as the scan is made, isn’t for everyone. The tunnels, only about 22 inches in diameter, can be especially difficult for patients who are claustrophobic or obese, and for children.

Mozafar Wanly, Samaritan’s project manager, said the new MRI will be installed near a large window and overlook a small garden, providing a serene setting for patients.

“I’ve had an MRI before and many people just can’t do it. They want out of the machine,” Wanly said.

MRIs allow physicians to explore the human body without ionizing radiation or invasive procedures. The machines use a strong magnetic field and radio waves to construct a computer image, which is printed on film and can be analyzed by a radiologist.

Benefits of an open MRI include:

• A more relaxed, less confining environment than traditional MRI.

• Low noise.

• A friend or family member can be in the room during the procedure.

The $6.4 million Samaritan Medical and Diagnostic Center is on schedule for an August opening. It sits on 2.2 acres west of the Albany Athletic Club on Hickory Street Northwest.

The building is approximately 35,000 square feet on three floors, but another floor can be finished later if needed.

Wanly said the first floor will house the MRI and women’s imaging center and the second floor will be for orthopedics and therapy. Plans for the third floor aren’t final.

The center will include a research room where patients can learn about cancer and treatment options, a wig bank, a makeup consulting service and prosthetics. There will be state-of-the-art digital mammography equipment that will allow Samaritan staff to diagnose cancers earlier than before. Also available will be an ultrasound and stereotactic biopsy suite and a bone density screening area.

The building was designed by architect Lonny Deffenbaugh of Salem. Samaritan acted as the general contractor with finish work by Dorman Construction Inc.

Alex Paul can be reached at alex.paul@lee.net or 812-6076.