Having a Magnetic Resonance Imaging scan can be frightening for anyone and may make the patient anxious. An MRI scanner’s clicks can be upsetting especially for children, So, LEGO has developed MRI Scan kits to relieve children before the start of the process. A new project from the LEGO Group aims to make children comfortable before they enter an MRI machine.
A LEGO Group employee, Erik Ullerlund Staehr wanted to help doctors and nurses prepare children for the complete procedure, and he used his idea in developing an MRI Scanner LEGO kit that would be donated to the hospitals’ radiology departments. The purpose of donating miniature MRI scanners is to aid children to feel safe and relaxed during the MRI process. An employee of the LEGO Group, Fraser Lovatt explained on Twitter that the model would not be for sale.
The demand for such kits can be anticipated from the number of likes and the posted comments on Lovatt’s original post. One user has mentioned, “The Lego MRI scanner helped my seven-year-old daughter be very comfortable with a recent brain MRI. Although it cost the hospital over £500!”
Another user has commented, “‘Fantastic idea. I am a grown woman & had to undergo an MRI this year week (not my first). I had a full-on panic attack! Just looking at the photo of the finished product would have calmed me down & to get it done faster.”
The MRI Scanner kit involves two constructions. The first is the scanner with a Minifigure and the other is the room where doctors read the scans. The basic purpose behind the creation of these kits is to introduce children to the activities of MRI scans and help them comprehend the procedure, removing the fear of the unknown.
Moreover, the LEGO MRI Scanner can also be opened up by the child, revealing the inner structure of the machine. The colors of kits are chosen among those used in hospitals, including white, gray, and blue.