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A team from Ainscough Crane Hire’s Glasgow depot has played a starring role in the delivery of Scotland’s most powerful magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner to Glasgow University.
BBC Scotland reported that the £10m device was lifted into place at the new Imaging Centre of Excellence (ICE) at the city’s Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) in the city.
Using a Liebherr LTM 1100/2 all-terrain crane to perform the lift, the 18-tonne scanner was first manoeuvred along an alleyway with just inches to spare on each side and then lifted through a hole in the wall of the new building, it was reported.
Once it is installed and calibrated it will be used to research and help treat a variety of conditions such as strokes, vascular dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and epilepsy.
MRI scanners use magnetism to create incredibly detailed images of the human body. This new scanner operates at seven Tesla – the universal measurement of magnetic strength named after electrical pioneer Nikola Tesla – compared to standard machines which operate at 1.5 to 3 Tesla.
Gavin Egdell, manager at Ainscough’s Glasgow Depot said: “Lifting the scanner was something a little bit different for us. It was a tight squeeze which required careful handling. The scanner will undoubtedly change many people’s lives for the better and it was a great privilege to play a small role in its establishment in the city.”
To the view the BBC video of the MRI scanner lift, please click here.
