LEGO has launched a wonderful initiative for children's hospitals worldwide that could receive special LEGO MRI scanners to appease young patients and help them become comfortable about the test.
The toy has been designed to appease the children, who are usually intimated by an MRI scan. The LEGO sets are also meant to simplify the complexities of an MRI machine for the kids.
In 2015, Erik Ullerlund Staehr, a chemical technician at LEGO, developed a model of MRI scanners in collaboration with the Odense University Hospital in Denmark as a teaching and training tool for hospital workers. The prototype has been scaled down and used by 200 kids between the ages of 4 to nine for more than five years.
"I've seen first-hand how children have responded to these models," Staehr said, per Toy World. "[They] feel more relaxed," he added and said that the LEGO MRI scanners turn what is usually a "highly stressful experience" into a positive and playful one.
Hospitals May Apply for the LEGO Toy
Children's hospitals will need to apply for the LEGO MRI scanners that will be shipped by the company free of charge. The LEGO Foundation has also established the initiative to help hospitals facilitate more evidence-based research for various advocacies involving children's health.
The foundation said that radiology departments would have a good use for these LEGO MRI scanners as clinicians can conduct a dialogue or role play with the children before they get the scans. They can run the step-by-step process of the important test while the children fiddle and play with the toy, as they absorb the idea that the machine is not supposed to scare them. In some cases, the toy might even help do away with using anesthesia on the kids to proceed with the MRI.
Hospitals picked for the free toy will be asked to generate insights and results using the LEGO MRI scans with the young patients. Additionally, the LEGO Foundation will also be giving free training videos with the model toys.
The LEGO MRI scanners include 500 elements and span about 25.5 centimeters in length, 13 centimeters wide, and 10.5 centimeters in height.
MRI Scans Triggers Claustrophobia Even for Adults
Dorthe Feveile Kjerkegaard, a specialist at the LEGO Foundation, said that MRI scans could induce anxiety even for adult patients, but she is glad that the feedback to the toy has been overwhelming and positive.
According to the experts, MRI machines often trigger claustrophobia or fear of narrow and enclosed spaces because of their narrow tunnel, especially for dark older models with the ceiling close to the patient's head. There are ways for adults to reduce their claustrophobia by becoming familiar with how the MRI scanner works or talking to the technician before the test begins.
It might also help to lower anxiety by covering the face with a cloth or doing deep breathing exercises as they lie down on the scanner. If it's allowed, the patient may also have a headphone with them so they can listen to music while the scan is underway.
