(L-R) Neurology specialist Sabrina Gillespie and imaging nurse Staci Finn with the state-of-the-art Phillips Ingenia 1.5T Evolution MRI scanner.

Somerset's Cave Veterinary Specialists Invests £1.2m In Class-leading MRI Scanner

2 years ago
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Posted
26th May, 2022 11h43

A Somerset animal hospital says it has future-proofed its imaging capabilities for the next decade with a £1.2m investment in a class-leading MRI scanner. 

Linnaeus-owned Cave Veterinary Specialists, in West Buckland, near Wellington, has purchased the state-of-the-art Phillips Ingenia 1.5T Evolution to allow it to better diagnose and treat pets. 

The scanner offers cutting-edge MR imaging technology to allow 50 per cent faster scans at a far higher resolution than Cave’s previous MRI, meaning shorter general anaesthetics for patients, and will also allow a more detailed and accurate diagnosis of complex neurological conditions.

It also boasts a wide bore magnet, simple coil arrangement and large number of channels to provide improved resolution and flexibility, meaning clinicians can scan different organ systems in patients of all shapes and sizes. 

This setup also allows Cave to expand into emerging fields such as cardiac MRI and advanced musculoskeletal imaging. 

Tom Cardy, head of neurology at Cave Veterinary Specialists, said the investment future-proofs Cave’s MRI scanning capability for the next 10 years and means it will continue to lead the referral field in the South West and beyond. 

He said: “It’s not often in your career you get to work with a truly class-leading piece of equipment such as this. 

“We are very grateful to Linnaeus for their ongoing investment in Cave and for providing us with an MRI scanner that will massively improve the care we can provide to pets. 

“Faster and more detailed MRI scans will reduce the general anaesthetic times for our patients and allow us to diagnose conditions that simply would not have been detectable on lower resolution machines. 

“The new scanner will greatly improve the patient and client experience we provide. This investment significantly increases the capability of our neurology service and the whole team are excited to get to grips with this amazing piece of kit.” 

Cave offers comprehensive, specialist-led services in anaesthesia, cardiology, dermatology, internal medicine, neurology and neurosurgery, oncology, orthopaedic surgery and soft tissue surgery.

For more information on Cave Veterinary Specialists, visit https://cave-vet-specialists.co.uk or search for Cave Veterinary Specialists on social media. 

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