SMIL Southwest Medical Imaging

04/10/2026

It’s Archival April!

We’re going down a rabbit hole to pull up interesting moments in medical imaging history.

Stay tuned as we share facts & anecdotes with you.

04/05/2026

Some bunny loves you at SMIL!

03/31/2026

It's a common misconception that all medical imaging, especially X-rays and CT scans, involves high levels of radiation.

While radiation is involved in some procedures, modern techniques and equipment are designed to minimize exposure.

03/28/2026

Radiology is a lot more than just identifying abnormalities. Radiologists analyze images carefully to understand the patient's condition, and they interpret the findings in the context of the patient's medical history.

Although incidental findings–unrelated, previously unknown abnormalities discovered during testing–are extremely valuable, radiology is a skillful process of understanding what’s happening inside the body, not just looking for problems.

03/26/2026

The T = magnetic strength, and bigger is not always better.

While 3T MRIs (higher magnetic strength) can be powerful, newer 1.5T systems are like the latest smartphone upgrades: sleeker, smarter, and surprisingly sharp. Imaging software and technology is also regularly upgraded. Today’s 1.5T MRIs can deliver incredible image quality, often rivaling (and even outperforming) older 3T machines.

Also worth noting:
Innovations like scan-time reduction aren’t limited to one machine. Multiple modern MRI systems use advanced technology to make scans quicker and more comfortable. This includes wide-bore 1.5T units

And YES, we have both!

03/24/2026

Not all imaging tests require contrast agents; contrast is used only when a doctor needs to get a clearer picture of certain areas or organs.

Many X-rays, ultrasound, MRIs and some CT scans can be done without contrast agents.

03/22/2026

While images are crucial, they are only part of the puzzle. Radiologists often consider multiple factors to arrive at a diagnosis.

Radiologists often need to carefully compare prior images and a patient's health history, and they sometimes need to collaborate with other specialists to get a clearer picture of the patient's health.

17 State-of-the-Art Imaging Centers in Phoenix offering MRI, CT, PET-CT, Mammography & Breast Services, Ultrasound, DEXA, X-ray, Nuc Med and Interventional Radiology

03/17/2026

🍀🍀Happy St. Patrick's Day!🍀🍀

03/09/2026

Ultrasound is used in many other areas of medicine, such as checking the heart (echocardiograms), monitoring organs like the liver or kidneys, guiding needle biopsies, and even detecting cancer in certain parts of the body.

03/05/2026

Radiologists are crucial in diagnosing a wide range of conditions, including cancer, heart disease, brain disorders, infections, and many other internal conditions that aren't visible on the surface.

03/03/2026

Welcome to iMaging Myths March!

We are demystifying common imaging and radiology myths, so keep an eye out for more.

03/01/2026

Phishing is highly deceptive and manipulative, kind of like this guy.⏫
Worse, the tactical brilliance is evolving.

Be on the lookout for the phishing lures below.

Masked Link: Link text looks like it points to one domain but really points to another.
Open Redirect: The domain is legitimate, but when you open it, the site immediately redirects to the attacker’s domain.
Typosquatting: The hacker buys a domain that is a typo of the real domain.
googgle.com Instead of google.com
Doppelganger Domains: The domain is identical to the legitimate one, but missing a dot.
www-genericdomain.com instead of wwwgenericdomain.com

BONUS
IDN Homograph Attack: Unicode allows a domain that is effectively visually identical to the real thing, using similar characters from other languages–http://xn--ggle-0nda.com/ instead of.google.com.