Kitten Scanner helps children prepare for MRI at Grantham and District Hospital

United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust has added an interactive miniature MRI scanner from Royal Philips to help prepare young patients for scans without the need for sedation or a general anaesthetic.

The Kitten Scanner is being used at Grantham and District Hospital to help children understand how an MRI system works, what it feels like to have a scan and how the results can help them in their recovery. In the first few months of use, it has enabled dozens of children to have a scan without the need for sedation. Play leader Sandy Crook and radiographer Helen Disbrow-Carpenter are part of the team that introduced the Kitten Scanner, and both continue to play an instrumental role in the clinics.

Crook explained: “I absolutely love my job. I spend most of my time working as a nursery nurse at Pilgrim Hospital, Boston, but really enjoy coming to Grantham to help prepare children for their scans using the Kitten Scanner. “Coming to hospital is daunting for anyone, but especially when you are a child. By using the app and playing with the Kitten Scanner the children understand what is happening and can ask any questions they might have. Only when they are comfortable, I bring them from the Kingfisher Suite and across the courtyard for them to have their own MRI scan with Helen and the team. They know what it will look like, what sounds they might hear, and they can also pick a film to watch while they are having their scan. We also allow a parent to be present and have a ribbon that they  and their child can each hold an end of throughout the scan for support and comfort.”

Picture: Patient Phoebe McCormack using the Kitten Scanner.

See the full report on page 28 of the March 2024 issue of RAD Magazine.