The Lego Foundation is inviting radiology departments around the world to apply to receive one of 600 Lego MRI scanners that are intended to help ease children's anxiety before undergoing an MRI exam.
The Lego MRI scanners were developed in 2015 through a collaboration between Lego employee Erik Ullerlund Staehr and Odense University Hospital, Denmark, and they are meant to help clinicians explain the MRI exam process to children, the company said. The models are built by volunteers, are free of charge, and have been used in almost 100 radiology departments, according to Lego. They include almost 500 pieces and measure 13 cm wide, 25.5 cm long, and 10.5 cm high.
The Lego MRI Scanner. Image courtesy of Lego."MRI scans can be scary, anxiety-inducing experiences for all of us, but especially so for children," said Lego Foundation Play and Health Specialist Dorthe Feveile Kjerkegaard in a statement released by the firm. "Through a playful learning approach, such as the Lego MRI Scanner, we've been able to take children through the process step by step to prepare them for what's to come, and in turn, help them to feel safe by making the unknown, known."
