Our Technology

At the Center for Imaging at Sacred Heart Hospital, we offer you some of the most superior technologies and imaging abilities in the world, including:

• Computed Tomography (CT) scanning, a diagnostic imaging procedure that uses a computer and X-rays to present cross-section “slices” of areas of the body.
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), a diagnostic procedure that uses a combination of a large magnet, radio frequencies and a computer to produce detailed images of organs and structures within the body. We offer open MRI as well as 3.0 Tesla MRI, the latest advance in clinical MRI technology.
• Ultrasound, an imaging method in which high-frequency sound waves are used to outline a part of the body.
• Mammography, a low-dose X-ray of the breasts.
• Mammotome Assisted Breast Biopsies. Mammotome is a device that uses a computer-guided probe to perform breast biopsies. A Mammotome biopsy can be done on an outpatient basis with a local anesthetic. During this procedure, we remove only a small amount of tissue and no stitches are required because the incision is so small.
• Mechanical Embolus Removal in Cerebral Ischemia (MERCI) Retrieval System, technology that removes blood clots from the brain in the event of a stroke.
• Nuclear Medicine, a specialized area of imaging that uses very small amounts of radioactive substances to examine organ function and structure.
• Bone Densitometer. A bone densitometer, on which the patient lies during a bone density test, resembles a large padded examination table. The densitometer measures bone density by using a small amount of radiation.
• Echocardiography, an ultrasound examination of the heart.
• PET-CT, a diagnostic examination that involves the acquisition of physiologic images based on the detection of radiation from the emission of positrons. Positrons are tiny particles emitted from a radioactive substance administered to the patient.
• Interventional Radiology, a medical specialty where doctors use imaging technologies to diagnose blockages in arteries and also treat them with balloons, stents and catheter-delivered medications.
• Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS), a system that acquires, transmits, stores, retrieves and displays digital images and related patient information from a variety of imaging sources and communicates the information over a network.