Important patient size limitations must be considered when obtaining diagnostic imaging and performing image-guided interventions. These limitations, including patient weight and diameter, vary between imaging modalities (e.g. CT, MRI) and even between equipment within each modality. It is essential to operate imaging equipment within limits not only to ensure high quality imaging, but also to avoid patient harm, staff injury, and equipment malfunction.
This website aims to provide information on the size and weight limitations for UCSF imaging modalities. The limits provided below represent the maximum weight/diameter capacitance of a single piece of equipment with the greatest capacity at each UCSF Health imaging site; these limits are not applicable across modalities (MRI vs. CT) or even within each modality (e.g. different CT scanner models have different specifications). Each imaging modality has additional considerations that may preclude successful imaging, even when patients technically meet the manufacturers’ specified limits. These are described in greater detail in the sections dedicated to each imaging modality. The final evaluation and decision on whether it is safe to proceed with imaging or imaging-guided intervention will be made by the radiology imaging modality managers.
If you are caring for a patient whose size might preclude successful imaging and you would like to discuss this with our UCSF radiology team, please use the contact information provided below.