Guy Gets Sucked into MRI Machine

digitalfutur · 2025-07-18T04:50:16+00:00

after walking into the room wearing a large metal necklace. Maybe he had just watched Final Destination Bloodlines? https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/man-sucked-into-mri-machine-long-island/

Somewhat-Reticent

The Darwin Award contestant’s play was deemed “not a genuine emergency”.
And now that decider can face suits from the estate ….

real_aurgathor

There are some interesting details by NYPost.

“While my mother was laying on the table, the technician left the room to get her husband to help her off the table. He forgot to inform him to take the chain he was wearing from around his neck off when the magnet sucked him in,” Jones-McAllister’s daughter, Samantha Bodden, wrote in a GoFundMe for burial costs.

Bodden added McAllister was led into the room by an MRI technician who did not tell him to take off his chain.

“Several news stations are saying he wasn’t authorized to be in the room when in fact he was because the technician went and brought him into the room,” the statement said.

https://nypost.com/2025/07/21/us-news/man-who-died-in-freak-mri-accident-was-jammed-in-machine-for-almost-and-hour-never-told-to-remove-20-pound-chain-family/

Maybe that technician wasn’t particularly well trained since having no magnetic objects around the machine is of utmost importance. That much negligence is hard to believe, but unfortunately it is entirely possible.

real_aurgathor

MacLeech Most machines have to vent the helium to “turn off” aka quenching.

Apparently, there are a number of ways to turn off MRI machines and some are faster than other, though some may not remove all the field.

https://neuroscience.queensu.ca/sites/default/files/2022-01/11-shutdown.pdf

Here’s what Google AI wrote:

AI Overview

To turn off an MRI machine, you typically initiate a controlled ramp down or a quench. A ramp down reduces the magnetic field gradually, while a quench rapidly shuts down the field by releasing helium. Emergency stops (quench) are used in critical situations like a patient being trapped or a fire, using a large red button usually found on the magnet room wall.
Here’s a more detailed breakdown:

Ramp Down (Normal Shutdown):

This is a controlled process to gradually reduce the magnetic field.
It’s done using the magnet power supply, which removes the current from the superconducting magnet.
The ramp down process takes time and is used when the machine is not in immediate danger.
Quench (Emergency Shutdown):

A quench is an emergency shutdown that rapidly collapses the magnetic field.

It involves a controlled release of liquid helium, which turns into gas and escapes through a quench pipe.
The quench button (usually a large red button) is used in life-threatening situations, such as a patient being pinned by a metallic object or a fire.
A quench can be costly to the facility as it requires re-energizing the magnet.

Emergency Stop Buttons:

Emergency Magnet Rundown Unit (EMRU) (Quench Button):
.
This button initiates a quench and is usually a large, red button on the magnet room wall.
Electrical Power Emergency Shutdown Button:
.
This button shuts down the electrical power to the entire MRI system and is used in cases of fire or damage to the scanner.

Important Considerations:

MRI magnets are always on:
.

The magnetic field is always present, even when the machine is not actively scanning.
Safety is paramount:
.
Only trained personnel should operate the MRI machine and initiate emergency shutdowns.
Quench can be dangerous:
.
While necessary in emergencies, a quench can cause a large release of helium, potentially displacing oxygen in the room and causing asphyxiation if not handled properly.

MacLeech

real_aurgathor 2 of the 3 ways in your AI results are the same thing, which I posted, a magnetic quench to be used in emergencies when people are pinned to the MRI. The remaining method, ramp down, is much slower and doesn’t actually “turn off” the magnets.

Astyanax

px_eliezer_ There’s surely going to be civil liability but perhaps even a case for criminal negligence.

Lawyer’s dream case. The wife will be set for life. Won’t even go to trial. The insurance companies have their checkbooks out already.

px_eliezer_

Astyanax

True, but she’d probably prefer to still have her husband…

urbanriot

real_aurgathor Maybe that technician wasn’t particularly well trained since having no magnetic objects around the machine is of utmost importance.

Considering how magnetism is a fundamental component of the experience I’m skeptical that a technician wouldn’t be following procedures due to a lack of training, especially since its an accredited role. New York requires MRI technologists to be licensed by the state department of health, which in turn requires them to pass an exam for radiologic technologists.

That and I’m skeptical that there aren’t signs everywhere. Any time I’ve been in an imaging department I’ve seen radiation warnings for CT scans and magnet warnings for MRIs.

real_aurgathor

urbanriot

I’m skeptical, too, but there is simply not enough objective information (i.e. camera recordings) to know for sure if the victim’s family is telling the truth.

real_aurgathor

Astyanax Lawyer’s dream case. The wife will be set for life. Won’t even go to trial. The insurance companies have their checkbooks out already.

Definitely not looking good for the company operating the MRI machine, but if they had a camera somewhere with at least a partial recording that could save their ass.

Somewhat-Reticent

real_aurgathor objective information (i.e. camera recordings)

Which can be deep-faked.

urbanriot

Somewhat-Reticent Which can be deep-faked

Not very easily but I look forward to the day when we have the technology for anyone to make an easy AI deep-fake and we start using “that’s a fake video” as a defense for every single incident that has video.

px_eliezer_

urbanriot Considering how magnetism is a fundamental component of the experience I’m skeptical that a technician wouldn’t be following procedures due to a lack of training, especially since its an accredited role. New York requires MRI technologists to be licensed by the state department of health, which in turn requires them to pass an exam for radiologic technologists.

That and I’m skeptical that there aren’t signs everywhere. Any time I’ve been in an imaging department I’ve seen radiation warnings for CT scans and magnet warnings for MRIs.

Good points.

But the guy IS dead, so [something] untoward happened.

We’ll see.

I DO find it believable.

Sometimes people (even properly trained) get careless and/or make mistakes.

Florida surgeon mistakenly removes patient’s liver instead of spleen, causing him to die, widow says
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/florida-surgeon-mistakenly-removes-patients-liver-instead-spleen-causi-rcna169614

Surgeon removed woman’s healthy kidney instead of her spleen, lawsuit alleges
https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/removing-kidney-instead-of-spleen-allina-health-lawsuit/

Surgeon accused of removing kidney from wrong patient
https://www.cnn.com/2016/08/10/health/kidney-removed-from-wrong-patient/

Mmmph.

I’ll give you one POSSIBLE explanation of the MRI accident:

1) MRI exam is completed.

2) Technician tells the patient that he’ll be back in a few minutes. Maybe he needs to help prepare someone else. Maybe he badly needs to pee.

3) Patient doesn’t want to wait and/or is in a lot of pain, she calls for her husband who comes running.

4) Technician is not back yet, but a worker at the nearby desk tells the husband that he can go in. Maybe that worker is NOT a full trained technician, and maybe the worker mistakenly believes that after the MRI is done, there is no more magnetic field….

5) After all—THAT is how an X-ray machine or a CT machine works—there’s no risk after the procedure is done and the power is turned off.

6) So an MRI situation is psychologically very different—

7) If a non-medical worker at the MRI place previously worked at regular radiology fracility (X-Ray/CT) then that person can create a real hazard,

Just one possibility.

dave

px_eliezer_ So an MRI situation is psychologically very different

“magnets, how do they work?”

real_aurgathor

px_eliezer_

px_eliezer_ But the guy IS dead, so [something] untoward happened.

For one, the strong magnetic field around MRI machines almost always present, even after the scan has been completed, so the fatal attraction should not come as a big surprise. In any case, it’s the much weaker gradient fields that are being modulated during the scan.

urbanriot

Heat84 Not to bring politics into it but, could the MRI tech have been a DEI hire?

While it’s possible, it doesn’t change the fact that he’d be someone who was certified to do the work.

I semi-agree with px_eliezer, I believe something ‘dumb’ happened or possibly even two people who did something dumb which culminated in a horrific outcome.

Heat84

Why can’t they design the MRI machine to vent the helium outside during an emergency shutdown?

Was that page that I got the link to recent?

Somewhat-Reticent

Heat84 That would require sane design - and likely more expense.

broknsymetry

Heat84 Why can’t they design the MRI machine to vent the helium outside during an emergency shutdown?

Somewhat-Reticent Heat84 That would require sane design - and likely more expense.

That is the current design. The helium is vented though a “quench pipe” to the roof or other point to the outside. But shit happens and emergency contingency plans for a possible leak are developed.

Astyanax

px_eliezer_ True, but she’d probably prefer to still have her husband…

When courts can raise the dead I’m sure that will be a preferred settlement. 🙄

Splitpair

px_eliezer_ There have been rare reports of thermal injuries with clothing that contained electrically conductive material, such as metallic threads and silver impregnated clothing.

Don’t be wearing Levi jeans, the thread in some of the stitching in them contains metal which is a way to tell if they are genuine.

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