MRI shielded rooms

MRI scanners need rooms shielded against radio interference, or image quality suffers. An MRI shielded room is an RF cage built around the scanner, often with magnetic shielding as well. This page is for hospital estates teams and imaging planners.

• RF shieldingKeeps scanner signals clean
• Magnetic shieldingOften needed, a separate discipline
• Shielded doors and windowsAccess without breaking the cage
• Tested on completionVerified before clinical use

What is an MRI shielded room

An MRI scanner listens for faint radio signals from the patient. Any outside interference on those frequencies corrupts the image, so the scanner room is built as an RF cage that keeps external signals out. The cage is part of our shielding range and is designed around the scanner model and the room layout.

Many suites also need magnetic shielding, which is a different discipline with different materials. The RF cage protects image quality; magnetic shielding manages the scanner’s magnetic field and its effect on the surrounding building. Confirm which of the two, or both, the scanner requirements call for.

Which specification does an MRI room need

Start from the scanner requirements, then specify each element of the room. The cage must stay continuous across every door, window, pipe and cable.

How MRI shielded rooms are built

The room is lined with a conductive material, commonly copper, with sealed seams forming the RF cage. The RF door closes the cage at the entrance, and the RF window keeps it continuous at the control room wall. Every service, from power and data to medical gases and the scanner’s vent pipe, passes through a treated penetration panel.

Coordination with the scanner installer is critical: the cage, the services and the scanner all meet in one small room, and the order of work is agreed before anyone starts. The room is tested before the scanner goes live, so any leak is found while it can still be fixed.

The control room window and the RF door are ordered early because they carry the longest lead times in the package. Finishes inside the suite are chosen with the hospital: the cage sits behind hygienic wall finishes, and lighting and nurse call systems are coordinated so nothing pierces the lining unplanned.

RF and magnetic shielding are different jobs. The RF cage protects image quality; magnetic shielding manages the magnetic field. A room can need one, the other, or both, so confirm with the scanner requirements.

Combining MRI shielding with other ratings

The department around the suite has its own needs. Security doors rated to LPS 1175 protect department entrances and equipment stores, and fire rated steel doors provide the fire separation the building regulations require. Where a suite also handles sensitive research, RF shielding can extend to adjoining rooms. Our standards hub explains the rating systems behind these products.

Where MRI shielded rooms are used

Healthcare is the main setting: hospital imaging departments, diagnostic centres and mobile scanner suites. Education covers university research imaging, where scanners support clinical and scientific programmes.

Cost and lead time factors for mri shielded rooms

Room size and the scanner model set the lining and penetration scope. The count of doors, windows and service penetrations drives cost directly, and magnetic shielding adds a separate design and material package where required. Retrofitting around an existing department takes longer than building the cage into a new suite. Coordination with the scanner installer and the testing programme also shape the timeline. No prices are given here because every suite differs.

How to specify MRI shielded rooms

1. Confirm scanner requirements. Get the RF and magnetic needs in writing.
2. Survey the room. Record construction, services and access.
3. Design the cage. Fix lining, doors, windows and penetrations.
4. Install the shielding. Build the cage before finishes go in.
5. Coordinate the installer. Agree the order of work for scanner delivery.
6. Test before clinical use. Prove performance with testing and surveys.

MRI shielded room FAQs