Open Upright MRI

An open MRI scan performed in a seated or standing position, designed for patients who experience claustrophobia in conventional tunnel scanners or who have mobility limitations that make lying flat difficult. Available exclusively at the Fitzrovia centre using dedicated upright MRI equipment.

Conventional MRI scanners require patients to lie inside a narrow cylindrical bore for the duration of the scan — a design that triggers significant anxiety or claustrophobia in an estimated ten to fifteen per cent of patients. The open upright MRI at Vista Health's Fitzrovia centre offers an alternative: patients sit or stand in an open-sided scanner that provides unobstructed views and far more personal space. The Fitzrovia centre houses two open scanner systems — a 0.6T upright unit and a 0.4T open unit — both capable of imaging most body regions including the spine, joints, brain, and extremities. While the field strength is lower than conventional high-field scanners, the upright position also enables weight-bearing imaging of the spine and joints, which can reveal pathology that is not visible when the patient is lying flat. This makes it clinically valuable for assessing disc bulges, spinal alignment, and joint instability under load. The open MRI option is chosen by patients who have previously been unable to complete a conventional scan due to anxiety, those with claustrophobia, patients with obesity who may not fit comfortably in a standard bore, and individuals with conditions such as severe back pain or respiratory difficulty that make lying flat uncomfortable. A full radiologist report and digital images are included.