Siemens Healthineers MAGNETOM Skyra

Image artifact, RF noise, distortion, or failed phantom QA

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Asset Type

MRI System

Manufacturer

Siemens Healthineers

Model

MAGNETOM Skyra

What This Guide Helps With

Troubleshooting MRI image artifacts, RF noise, distortion, or phantom QA failures using external checks before escalation.

Step-by-Step Troubleshooting

Ensure Patient Safety First

If the artifact, noise, distortion, or QA failure occurs during patient imaging, stop using the affected protocol or system for diagnostic imaging until the issue is understood.

Move the patient off the table when safe and have clinical staff use another available MRI system if imaging is urgent.

Expected outcome: Patient care is protected and no diagnostic study depends on unreliable image quality.

Confirm the Reported Image Quality Problem

Review the reported issue with MRI staff and determine whether the problem is:

Expected outcome: The artifact pattern is clearly identified before troubleshooting continues.

If the issue was related to a single incorrect protocol selection or temporary scan setup error, correct it, repeat the test scan, document the finding, and stop.

Check for Active Patient or Room Safety Concerns

Inspect the scanner room for unusual smells, heat, water leaks, loud abnormal sounds, damaged cables, loose panels, or signs of equipment contact near the bore or table.

Expected outcome: No immediate safety issue is present.

If overheating, fluid leakage, smoke, burning smell, abnormal compressor/chiller behavior, or unsafe scanner condition is found, remove the system from service and escalate immediately.

Verify the Artifact Is Reproducible

Ask MRI staff whether the issue occurs:

Repeat a controlled phantom or localizer scan if allowed by site policy.

Expected outcome: Clinical Engineering can separate a repeatable system issue from a one-time scan event.

If the issue cannot be reproduced and QA passes, return the system to service per facility policy and document the test results.

Confirm Proper Phantom Setup

For failed phantom QA, verify the correct phantom is being used, positioned correctly, filled properly if applicable, and placed according to the site’s standard QA procedure.

Check that the phantom is not damaged, leaking, underfilled, expired, contaminated, or positioned off-center.

Expected outcome: The QA failure is not caused by an incorrect or poorly positioned phantom.

If correcting phantom setup resolves the failed QA, document the setup issue and stop.

Check Coil Selection and Coil Positioning

Confirm the correct coil was selected and physically positioned for the scan.

Inspect the coil for visible damage, cracked housing, damaged cable strain relief, bent connectors, contamination, or evidence of fluid intrusion.

Expected outcome: The coil is appropriate for the scan and shows no obvious external damage.

If the artifact follows one specific coil, remove that coil from service, label it, and test with a known-good coil if available.

Inspect Coil Connections and Table Interface

Power down or follow local safe handling procedures before reseating coil connections if required by site policy.

Check that coil connectors are fully seated, table connection points are clean and undamaged, and no cable is pinched under the patient table, pads, or accessories.

Expected outcome: Coil communication and RF signal path issues caused by loose or damaged external connections are ruled out.

If reseating or replacing the coil resolves the artifact, document the faulty coil or connection and stop.

Check for External RF Noise Sources

Verify the scanner room door closes fully and seals correctly.

Look for items that should not be in the MRI room, including non-MRI accessories, chargers, loose cables, unauthorized electronic devices, damaged headphones, monitoring accessories, pumps, or communication equipment.

Expected outcome: External RF noise sources are removed or ruled out.

If removing a device or correcting the room door condition resolves the noise, document the source and stop.

Inspect MRI-Compatible Accessories

Check any accessories used during the failed scan, such as pads, patient monitors, respiratory sensors, ECG leads, headphones, audio equipment, contrast injector connections, or positioning aids.

Confirm cables are routed properly, not looped unnecessarily, and not crossing the imaging area in a way that could contribute to artifact.

Expected outcome: Accessory-related artifact sources are ruled out.

If the artifact disappears when a specific accessory is removed, remove that accessory from service and document the finding.

Review Protocol and Sequence Factors

Ask MRI staff whether the issue occurs only on a specific protocol, sequence, bandwidth setting, orientation, acceleration setting, or body region.

Compare the affected protocol to a known-good protocol or standard QA sequence.

Expected outcome: Protocol-related causes are identified before suspecting hardware failure.

If only one edited or nonstandard protocol fails, have MRI leadership or applications support review the protocol before hardware escalation.

Check Table Positioning and Landmarking

Confirm the patient table moves smoothly, landmarking is accurate, and the scan area is centered properly in the bore.

For distortion or signal dropout, verify the anatomy or phantom was not positioned too far off isocenter.

Expected outcome: Positioning-related image quality problems are ruled out.

If proper landmarking and centering resolves the issue, document table position or setup error and stop.

Verify Environmental Conditions

Check the equipment room and magnet room conditions for obvious environmental problems, including high temperature, airflow blockage, humidity concerns, water leaks, or recent HVAC issues.

Expected outcome: Environmental causes that can affect scanner stability are ruled out.

If environmental conditions are outside site limits or visibly abnormal, notify Facilities and remove the scanner from service until conditions are corrected.

Check Recent Changes

Determine whether the issue started after:

Expected outcome: Recent changes are identified as possible contributing factors.

If the issue began immediately after a known change, include that detail in the escalation notes.

Run or Request Standard Site QA

Perform or observe the site-approved phantom QA or image quality test without deviating from approved procedure.

Record whether the test passes or fails and note the specific failure mode.

Expected outcome: The problem is confirmed with a controlled test rather than only clinical scan feedback.

If QA passes and clinical images are acceptable, return the system to service per policy and document the result.

Review System Messages Without Performing Internal Repair

Check the operator console or service notification area for active warnings related to RF, gradient, coil, reconstruction, image quality, cooling, or system readiness.

Expected outcome: Any system-reported faults are captured for escalation.

Do not perform internal adjustments, calibration, RF tuning, gradient service, or board-level repair unless authorized and trained.

Escalate When External Causes Are Ruled Out

If the artifact, RF noise, distortion, or failed phantom QA remains after checking coils, accessories, setup, environment, room door, protocol, and phantom positioning, treat the issue as a likely internal scanner, RF chain, gradient, shielding, reconstruction, calibration, or system performance problem.

Expected outcome: The device is removed from clinical use and escalated appropriately.

If the Problem Persists

Common external causes have been ruled out, and the issue is likely internal to the MRI system, RF pathway, gradient system, shielding, reconstruction process, calibration state, or scanner environment.

The MAGNETOM Skyra should be:

Knowing when to stop is proper troubleshooting. Continuing to scan patients with unresolved artifact or failed QA can compromise diagnostic confidence and patient safety.

Clinical Use Tip

Do not troubleshoot image quality problems on an active patient unless the patient has already been safely removed from the imaging workflow. If image quality is questionable, move clinical imaging to another verified scanner until QA confirms the Skyra is safe for diagnostic use.

Work Order Documentation (CCR Method)

CCR = Complaint, Cause, Resolution

Complaint

What was reported by the clinical staff.

Example:
"MRI staff reported RF noise and signal dropout on MAGNETOM Skyra brain scans, with a failed daily phantom QA test."

Cause

What was observed during troubleshooting.

Example:
"Clinical Engineering verified the artifact was reproducible during phantom QA after checking phantom setup, coil condition, coil seating, room door closure, accessories, and scan setup."

Resolution

What action was taken.

Example:
"System was removed from service, labeled Out of Service, QA failure details were documented, and Siemens MRI service was contacted for further evaluation."

Helpful Details to Include (If Known)

Final Thought

MRI image quality problems should be handled carefully and logically. Start with patient safety, then verify setup, coils, accessories, room conditions, phantom positioning, and reproducibility before assuming internal scanner failure. Clear documentation protects patients, supports service escalation, and helps prevent repeat downtime.

That is successful troubleshooting.

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