Medical Imaging Services
Looking for answers to your medical diagnostic imaging questions? We can help!
Bellingham Advanced Medical Imaging is here to give you and your doctor the answers you need to make the best decisions about your health care. And, complete clarity about the various types of medical imaging available.
Our team of board-certified radiologists, technologists and support staff knows that this can be a stressful time for you. You want and deserve answers as soon as possible.
We use advanced medical imaging technology to help you and your doctor can get the answers you need quickly and safely. We do this by making sure you’re at the center of everything we do at Bellingham Advanced Medical Imaging.
Learn more about the different kinds of medical imaging exams we have at Bellingham Advanced Medical Imaging
CT Scan | MRI Imaging | Ultrasound | X-Ray | Fluoroscopy | DEXA Scan
CT Scan
Computed tomography, CT is an advanced form of X-ray imaging that uses a computer to combine many X-rays into one detailed image that provides information on bones and soft tissues.
High-Resolution Reconstructed Images - As you pass through the ring of the CT scanner, it rotates around your body and uses X-rays to take images. A computer combines the data and reconstructs them into high-resolution detailed images of the bones and soft tissue. The body part is reconstructed in slices which allows the radiologist to scroll through them one at a time to look at fine details. This allows them to make diagnoses such as identifying fractures, detecting cancer, and localize infection.
Short Scan Time - One of the advantages of CT is how quickly it creates high levels of detail. Most scans are less than sixty seconds in length. Our exams use a 64–slice scanner, which means the exam is quicker, produces high-quality images, and comes with advanced technology that automatically minimizes radiation dose.
High-Field Open MRI
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a painless way for you and your doctor to obtain detailed images of structures inside your body to help diagnose disease or injury. MRI exams do not use ionizing radiation so they can be performed in children and pregnant patients.
Magnetic Fields - MRI uses a strong magnetic field to temporarily line up the protons in the hydrogen atoms in your body. The machine will send specially tuned radio wave pulses to the area being imaged. How those radio waves bounce — or resonate — off your hydrogen atoms is interpreted by a computer. The computer turns this information into highly detailed images of the inside of your body.
High-Resolution Images - MRI creates detailed anatomic images of the inside of your body, including the soft tissue structures. MRI is often used to look for disease, infection, or injury in almost any body part but is frequently performed to evaluate the brain, spine, joints, and solid organs in the abdomen such as the liver.
High-Field Open MRI - the same technology as a traditional MRI machine with a wider bore for the patient's comfort. This wider bore allows for more space around the patient’s body while scanned. An Open MRI may help prevent claustrophobia and/or allow for larger patients to obtain an MRI scan.
Ultrasound
Ultrasound uses sound waves to create images of your organs, blood vessels, and other structures inside your body. Because ultrasound is fast and does not use ionizing radiation, it is relatively safe. This makes ultrasound a preferred imaging option for children and pregnant patients.
High-Frequency Sound Waves - Ultrasound uses a small tool called a transducer to send high-frequency sound waves into an area of your body. The transducer also receives the sound waves as they bounce back. The ultrasound machine interprets those sound wave echoes to create an image of your internal organs and tissues. Ultrasound images are obtained in real-time, which allows the evaluation of dynamic processes such as heart contraction, blood flow, and stomach emptying.
Doppler Ultrasound - This type of ultrasound measures the change in pitch of the ultrasound waves with motion, which enables the evaluation of blood flowing in veins and arteries. Doppler ultrasound can also be used to check for heart motion very early in pregnancy.
For additional information about specific tests, please follow the links below:
Abdominal Ultrasound
Carotid Ultrasound
Obstetrical Ultrasound
Pelvic Ultrasound
Scrotum Ultrasound
Thyroid Ultrasound
Vascular Ultrasound
Venous Ultrasound
X-Ray
Painless and fairly quick, X-rays give you and your health care provider a look inside your body. They are a simple, non-invasive, and quick way to help spot broken bones, foreign objects, and even diseases in certain parts of your body.
Dense and Soft Tissue - X-rays use a small amount of radiation to provide images of your body. As the radiation passes through, denser structures (like bones) block the radiation, while soft tissue (like the lungs) does not. A digital X-ray sensor captures the X-rays that pass through, leaving an image that can show abnormalities such as bone fractures, foreign objects, and pneumonia.
Fluoroscopy
While standard X-ray takes still images, fluoroscopy allows real-time imaging with live X-rays. At Bellingham Advanced Medical Imaging, we primarily use fluoroscopy when injecting contrast for patients receiving an MRI or CT scan, this procedure is known as arthrography.
DEXA Scan
Bone Densitometry - also called dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, DEXA, or DXA, is a type of radiology that uses a very small dose of ionizing radiation to produce pictures of the inside of the body, lower spine, and hips. Specifically, to measure bone loss. A DEXA scan is most commonly used in the diagnosis of osteoporosis as well as to assess an individual's risk for developing osteoporotic fractures. A DEXA scan is simple, quick, and noninvasive. It's the most commonly used standard method for diagnosing osteoporosis.
A DEXA exam requires little to no special preparation. Tell your doctor and the technologist if there is a possibility you are pregnant or if you recently had a barium exam or received an injection of contrast material for a CT or radioisotope scan. Leave jewelry at home and wear loose, comfortable clothing. You may be asked to wear a gown. You should not take calcium supplements for at least 24 hours before your exam.
NOTE: The information contained within this website should not be considered medical advice and is not intended to replace the consultation of one of our qualified radiologists. Skagit Radiology has compiled this information to the best of its ability; however, it is possible there may be more current information following the posting of this information. Please consult your physician and/or radiologist for information about your particular situation.
