MRI technologist Erica Stauver shows the interior of the new mobile MRI unit available at WVU Medicine Reynolds Memorial Hospital in Glen Dale and Wetzel County Hospital in New Martinsville. In addition to using advanced technology, the unit features overhead murals to create a soothing experience for patients.

GLEN DALE — A new mobile magnetic resonance imaging unit, utilizing the latest technology and offering expanded availability, is now serving patients at WVU Medicine Reynolds Memorial Hospital in Glen Dale and Wetzel County Hospital in New Martinsville.

A large trailer housing the equipment arrived Monday at WVU Medicine Reynolds. Hours of operation for the diagnostic tool are increasing to five days a week at the Glen Dale site. The unit is available two days a week in New Martinsville.

“We’re excited to have this technology available and to bring it to the community,” said Mike Ortiz, vice president of clinical operations at WVU Medicine Reynolds.

By having another day of service at Reynolds, more patients can undergo MRI scans and receive their readings faster, he said.

This state-of-the-art unit offers the next generation of MRI technology, said Erica Stauver, MRI technologist at WVU Medicine Reynolds.

The new MAGNETOM Aera system is more technologically advanced than the previous MRI unit used at the hospitals. The unit’s strong magnet produces highly detailed images and faster exam results.

In addition, an “open bore” design makes the unit more spacious, reducing patients’ potential anxiety, and can accommodate patients weighing up to 550 pounds. The unit offers customized lighting and features overhead murals to create a more comfortable and soothing experience for patients.

An MRI examination takes “20 minutes to an hour to complete, depending on the scan,” Stauver said.

The mobile MRI unit will be stationed at WVU Medicine Reynolds on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday of each week, she said. The unit will be taken to Wetzel County Hospital every Sunday and Wednesday.

Currently, about 16 MRI scans a day are conducted at WVU Medicine Reynolds, supervisor Brenda Dobbs said. She anticipates the number will increase with the new equipment being in service.

Previously, some patients had to go to WVU Hospital in Morgantown to undergo more advanced scans, Ortiz said. Now, more exams can be performed locally.

WVU Medicine owns and operates Reynolds Memorial Hospital. The health system manages Wetzel County Hospital under an agreement.