The research participant lies on the scanner table, which is then moved horizontally into the bore for scanning. When completely out of the magnet, the table may also be moved vertically.

Participant comfort is very important to minimizing movement and participants are made more comfortable with a variety of soft supports (e.g., for raising the knees, supporting the neck, or cushioning the head).

In many diseases, symptoms will only occur during stress, therefore a dynamic evaluation is required. The MR ergometer is specifically designed for exercising to induce stress during MRI examinations, in lieu of using drugs.

Model Name: Lode MR Ergometer

Figure: Illustration of how the ergometer is used in the MRI scanner.

This emergency magnet quench button is used in a life-threatening emergency to vent all the helium from the scanner. This dire action dissipates the magnetic field, which will then reach a "safe" level after several minutes.

Only quench the scanner in a life-threatening situation! Quenching the scanner can destroy a million dollar machine.

The patch panel allows cables to pass from the Console room to the Scanner room while blocking radio frequencies that would negatively impact scans. Note the Scanner room's copper shielding showing around the panel edge and the three copper tubes (top center and bottom left & right) for passing cables through. The copper tubes are carefully designed so that problem radio frequencies are blocked.

The injector device allows precise, controlled injection of saline and contrast agents. Most neuroimaging experiments don't require injections, but it can be useful for some types of experiments. The injector device is controlled from within the Console room by a dedicated display at the console.

Model Name: BRACCO EmpowerMR Contrast Injection System (controlled by the BRACCO Injeneering EmpowerMR Contrast Injection System Display at the console).

In an emergency, such as a fire, an MRI technician can use this alternate EPO button to cut the power to the entire MR system (this includes the lights and circuits in the Scanner room). This action does not quench the magnet (i.e., it does NOT vent the helium) but does stop the helium refrigeration system which will, eventually, cause loss of the magnetic field.

The power supply (white box) and settings control box (black) for the ergometer, which is stored on the other side of the room.

Phantoms are specially designed objects containing materials to mimic living tissue. Materials include plastics, salt solutions, silicones, epoxy, polyurethane foams, carbon powder, water, radioactive substances, and even absorbant polymers like those used in disposable diapers. Because phantoms have known qualities, they are scanned on a regular basis to provide quality control for tuning the scanner.

The head coil, sometimes called a birdcage coil, is used for neuroimaging. A coil is plugged in to the scanner and acts like an antenna. It receives radio signals from your body and transmits data to the computer to construct the image. A mirror on the top of the head coil allows the participant to see the task display for experiments that involve visual stimuli. The plug-box that is used to attach the coil to the scanner table is visible in the picture (white box/pipe at bottom left of photo).

This MR compatible writing tablet and pen act like a mouse so that pen contacts can be recorded by stimulus presentation software (Eprime, for example). The primary use of the tablet is to register touches, but it is not well-suited for capturing writing or drawing.

Model Name: This tablet was developed by the Rotman Institute and is described in this article:
Tam, F., Churchill, N. W., Strother, S. C., & Graham, S. J. (2008). System for computerized writing and drawing during fMRI. Proc Intl Soc Mag Reson Med.