KSU renovates radiology section

Manhattan, Kansas-

At the end of spring, you won't recognize the radiology department at Kansas State University's Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (VMTH).

A $1 million facelift has filled out the department with new computedtomography (CT) for small animals and horses and magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) for small animals only. The new equipment is designed to parallelimaging capabilities available in human medicine.

By housing both units within the same department, the VMTH will be ableto offer both diagnostic procedures in the same day.

The MRI technology uses a 60,000-pound magnet to polarize hydrogen atomsin the tissues and monitor the summation of the spinning energies withinliving cells.

"The magnet is so massive that it must first be installed, followedby the completion of the room," says Dr. Roger Fingland, hospital director.The construction of the CT scanner suite will not be finished until theMRI equipment is completely installed.