Photo: Apollo C. Exconde giving a speech at St Thomas Hospital London, UK
DUBAI: A Filipino working in the United Kingdom as a senior Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) radiographer has come up with an idea to ease fears of claustrophobic patients undergoing the procedure – and he is not reinventing the wheel. In fact, he is using toys that most everyone probably grew up with: Lego.
“The Lego open MRI will be used to display and answer the common queries of every patients for any of their examinations requested, regardless of age and background like ‘Where will my head be?’” Apollo C. Exconde, who works at InHealth Croydon University Hospital’s MRI Unit, told The Filipino Times.
The Lego pieces have been designed with a wide, open view to give patients an idea of what the scanner looks like from inside and how much of their body will be positioned inside the scanner, explained InHealth.
“I realized it would be healthier to show patients the Lego figure at the earliest possible stage so that the length of time rationalizing will be minimized and whatever might be disturbing them shall be addressed at that level,” the medical center quoted him as saying in its regular n-house publication.
Exconde said dealing with claustrophobic patients and seeing them not getting through their scans has always been “a heart-wrenching moment that often leaves a guilt mark on me for every cancellation (of the procedure.)
“A patient will approach me and declare: ‘Apollo, I cannot do this’ or ‘I was not informed, take me out!’ and from these very statements an on-going thought-provoking question to myself: ‘What can I do to help them?” he told TFT.
The proposal has been submitted to Lego for commercial production and is in the process of gathering support.
Explained Exconde: “By typing Lego open MRI idea in any search engine, registering an email account, clicking support gets us closer to the 10,000 goal and every share raises awareness about claustrophobia and scan related anxiety.”
He said his task for a year is to accumulate 1,000 supporters then a further 6 months will be given in addition to whatever days left to reach 5,000 and a boost of 6 months to hit 10,000 supporters.
“It will then be qualified for the Lego review and once approved, it will be an official product to be made available everywhere on a global scale. Children will then be able to play with it while removing the idea of fear. Anxiety will then be suppressed at the point of referral and patients will be able to psychologically prepare themselves before the appointment,” Exconde said.
Exconde was born and brought up in San Pablo City, Laguna, Philippines. He finished his bachelor’s degree in Radiologic Technology at De La Salle Health Sciences Institute in Dasmarinas, Cavite.
