Lab & Diagnostic Imaging

Superior care is never far away

At Parkview we offer a wide variety of comprehensive laboratory and imaging services in northeast Indiana and northwest Ohio, which means you are never too far away from receiving accurate and timely lab and imaging results. Our experienced technicians and specialists are committed to providing you excellent care.

At select locations, you can now schedule a same-day appointment for lab, x-ray, or EKG services. Before you leave home, view wait times in real-time and let us know you are on your way.

Diagnostic imaging

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a test that uses a magnetic field and pulses of radio wave energy to make pictures of organs and structures inside the body.

In many cases, MRI gives different information about structures in the body than can be seen with an X-ray, ultrasound, or computed tomography (CT) scan. MRI also may show problems that cannot be seen with other imaging methods.

For an MRI test, the area of the body being studied is placed inside a special machine that has a strong magnet. In some cases, a dye (contrast material) may be used during the MRI to show pictures of organs or structures more clearly.

Photographs or films of certain views can also be made. Information from an MRI can be saved and stored on a computer for more study.

MRI can be used to look for problems such as bleeding, tumors, infection, blockage, or injury in the brain, organs and glands, blood vessels, and joints.

Computed Tomography (CT) Scan

A computed tomography (CT) scan uses X-rays to make detailed pictures of structures inside of the body.

During the test, you lie on a table that is attached to the CT scanner, which is a large doughnut-shaped machine. The CT scanner sends X-ray pulses through the body. Each pulse lasts less than a second and takes a picture of a thin slice of the organ or area being studied. One part of the scanning machine can tilt to take pictures from different positions. The pictures are saved on a computer.

A CT scan can be used to study any body organ, such as the liver, pancreas, intestines, kidneys, adrenal glands, lungs, and heart. It also can study blood vessels, bones, and the spinal cord.

An iodine dye (contrast material) is often used to make structures and organs easier to see on the CT pictures. The dye may be used to check blood flow, find tumors, and look for other problems. Dye can be put in a vein (IV) in your arm. Or, for some tests, you may drink the dye. CT pictures may be taken before and after the dye is used.

A special CT scanner called a spiral (helical) CT can provide a scan of the lungs in half the time of a standard CT scan. Spiral CT gets its name from the circular movement of the scanner around your body.

Mammography

A mammogram is an X-ray of the breast that is done to screen for breast cancer and to investigate lumps that can be felt during a breast exam. It can also detect tumors or abnormal areas that are too small to be felt with the hands.

Ultrasound

Ultrasound is a test that uses reflected sound waves to produce an image of organs and other structures in the body. It does not use X-rays or other types of possibly harmful radiation.

For ultrasound testing, gel or oil is applied to the skin to help transmit the sound waves. A small, handheld instrument called a transducer is passed back and forth over the area of the body that is being examined. The transducer sends out high-pitched sound waves (above the range of human hearing) that are reflected back to the transducer. A computer analyzes the reflected sound waves and converts them into a picture that is displayed on a TV screen. The picture produced by ultrasound is called a sonogram, echogram, or ultrasound scan. Pictures or videos of the ultrasound images may be made for a permanent record.

Ultrasound is most useful for looking at organs and structures that are either uniform and solid (such as the liver) or fluid-filled (such as the gallbladder). Mineralized structures (such as bones) or air-filled organs (such as the lungs) do not show up well on a sonogram.

Fluoroscopy

Fluoroscopy is a test that uses a steady beam of X-ray to look at parts of the body and movement within the body, such as blood moving through a blood vessel. Fluoroscopy also can be used to help find a foreign object in the body, position a needle for a medical procedure, or realign a broken bone. A dye (contrast material) that shows up on fluoroscopy can be put in a vein (IV) or swallowed so vessels or organs show up clearly.

Fluoroscopy usually is done during other diagnostic procedures. For example, fluoroscopy is done during cardiac catheterization to look at the coronary arteries and the flow of blood through them. Fluoroscopy also may be used to look at the urinary tract or during a hysterosalpingogram to look at a woman's reproductive organs.

Fluoroscopy uses more radiation than standard X-rays.

Bone density exam

A bone density test is a kind of X-ray test. It measures the density of minerals (such as calcium) in your bones. This information helps your doctor estimate the strength of your bones. We all lose some bone mass as we age. Bones naturally become thinner (called low bone density) as you grow older. This is because existing bone tissue is broken down faster than new bone is made. As this occurs, our bones lose calcium and other minerals. They also become lighter and less dense. This makes the bones weaker and makes them more likely to break (fracture). With further bone loss, low bone density (sometimes called osteopenia) can lead to osteoporosis. So, the thicker your bones are, the longer it takes to get osteoporosis. Although osteoporosis can occur in men, it is most common in women older than age 65.

X-ray

X-rays are a form of radiation, like light or radio waves, that can be focused into a beam, much like a flashlight beam. Unlike a beam of light, though, X-rays can pass through most objects, including the human body.

When X-rays strike a piece of photographic film, they can produce a picture. Dense tissues in the body, such as bones, block (absorb) many of the X-rays and appear white on an X-ray picture. Less dense tissues, such as muscles and organs, block fewer of the X-rays (more of the X-rays pass through) and appear in shades of gray. X-rays that pass only through air appear black on an X-ray picture.

Many centers are changing from film to using computers for digital pictures.

Nuclear medicine

Nuclear medicine imaging is a non-invasive procedure that requires an injection, ingestion or inhalation of a safe amount of a radioactive material. The radioactive materials are called radiopharmaceuticals and assist in diagnosis or treatment of certain medical conditions. Radiopharmaceuticals are metabolized by the patient’s own body to show the function of a particular organ. Common nuclear medicine studies include bone scans, lung scans, gallbladder scans, gastric emptying studies, thyroid scans and heart studies. The nuclear medicine department also performs several types of therapies that involve the administration of radiopharmaceuticals to treat various conditions.

Superior care is never far away

Diagnostic imaging

Mammography locations

P.E.T. Fusion Imaging

P.E.T. Fusion Imaging

Non-Parkview Physicians Group Laboratory orders

Lab & Diagnostic Imaging

Superior care is never far away

Diagnostic imaging

Mammography locations

P.E.T. Fusion Imaging

P.E.T. Fusion Imaging

Non-Parkview Physicians Group Laboratory orders

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