Industrial designers have helped transform the often-frightening process of MRI and CT scans into an adventure for children, according to an article on the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
The sight of a terrified child about to have an MRI scan gave GE Healthcare industrial designer Doug Dietz a different perspective and led to a project that has turned imaging departments at 27 children's hospitals into small theme parks.
The designs transformed a test into a voyage on a spaceship, a visit to a pirate island and other adventures. The imaging departments became elaborate sets and the techs became amateur actors with scripts.
The series consists of a variety of themes for the different tests. For an MRI, it is a space voyage, with technicians telling children that the spaceship is about to go into hyper-drive when the machine becomes loud. For a PET scan, it is Camp Cozy, because children need to be calm and the test takes about 45 minutes.
GE Healthcare estimates that the Adventure Series costs $50,000 to $100,000 for each "room" with imaging equipment.
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