Energy consumption in MRI: Determinants and management options

Area of Science:

• Radiology and Medical Imaging
• Energy Management in Healthcare
• Sustainable Technology

Background:

• Radiology departments utilize energy-intensive MRI scanners.
• Awareness of energy consumption is growing, yet management strategies for MRI are underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify the energy usage of MRI scanners.
• To identify and evaluate methods for reducing MRI energy consumption.

Main Methods:

• Automated software measured energy consumption for two MRI scanners.
• Data was segmented by machine mode (stand-by, idle, active) and correlated with PACS.
• Low-energy brain MRI protocols were developed and compared to standard ones using phantoms.

Main Results:

• Stand-by mode consumed 40% of energy, active mode 40%, and idle mode 20%.
• Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and Time-of-Flight (TOF) sequences were the most energy-intensive.
• A low-energy protocol reduced consumption by ~10% (0.20€ per scan), primarily due to DWI optimization.

Conclusions:

• MRI energy reduction strategies must account for significant stand-by consumption.
• Active mode energy use is protocol-dependent and can be lowered by adapting sequences (e.g., DWI) based on power, duration, and image quality.