Testing

Common Questions and Concerns

Certification

I've been safety certified with CCN before. How do I get recertified?

• Safety-certified users need to renew their certification every year. See the Training section on this page for general instructions on recertification. To summarize, you will need to log onto BruinLearn (with your UCLA credentials), enroll in the Staglin safety course if you haven't already, take the MRI Recertification Exam, and email CCN staff once you've passed.
• If you can log into BruinLearn, but don't see the Staglin Safety course and can't find the MR Recertification Exam, you are not yet enrolled in the course. Please talk to your lab manager or admin for an enrollment link and only email CCN staff if they do not have it.

I got the enrollment link from my lab admin, but clicking it gives me a Page Not Found error.

• Make sure you are able to log into bruinlearn.ucla.edu with your UCLA credentials. Do not use Mednet credentials, as BruinLearn requires a @ucla.edu address to enroll.
• Try again in 24-48 hours. UCLA credentials that were granted very recently to new employees/students take some time to propagate through the system.

I passed the MR Safety Exam. Now what?

• Monitor the BruinLearn calendar for Walkthrough and Operations Training sessions. Sign up for a pair of these sessions as soon as you see an available posting that you can attend.
• If you are looking at the calendar and don't see any options for signing up, it means all current postings are full. CCN staff offers these sessions as often as the schedule allows, but demand for safety certification is usually high and the sessions fill up very quickly. Watch the calendar for cancellations and new postings--if you have a strict deadline or have been actively trying to find a spot for a long time, reach out to discuss a special accommodation.

I am BMC certified. Will I need to get re-certified to be allowed in the CCN scanner and/or to access the CCN server?

• Yes. CCN and BMC are separate organizations, so you will need to be safety certified at CCN to access the scanner and server.

Why am I not in the user dropdown list when scheduling a scan?

• The most likely reason is that your safety certification has expired. You can see certification expiration dates in the My Profile > My Personnel page on SIStat. Users also receive an email a few weeks before expiration.
• As with the question above, see the Training section for instructions on (re)certification.

I finished my certification training and passed the exams. Now what?

• Once you have passed the Operations Exam, you are able to start serving as a safety second for scans. There are no further exams to take or physical certificates to get. You will simply need to be recertified after a year has passed (see "How do I get recertified?" above).
• Your lab admin will need to add you to your lab's personnel list on SIStat. See the Lab Personnel section on this page for instructions. This will allow us to mark your certified status in the system, your lab to schedule you for scans, and you to book scans yourself.
• After you have gained some experience as a safety second, you will be able to become a Primary or Responsible User. See the section about primary users on this page for qualification criteria. CCN does not stipulate a specific number of required experience hours, as everyone's MR background is different, but will assess each individual's experience level as necessary.
• Contact CCN staff for access to the CCN mailing lists and Slack workspace. These are the primary communication channels for CCN information and announcements.

Scheduling, Screening, and Administration

Is my participant's implant safe?

• The simple truth is, we don't know yet! Please refrain from emailing CCN personnel without acquiring documentation, records, or official communications from a medical professional.

I have received information, now what?

• If you receive manufacturer information (make/model number etc.) about your participant's implant, please go one step further by searching the web for implant safety information. Oftentimes there will be documentation published by the manufacturer or the FDA.
• If you are unable to get specifics about the manufacturer/model of your participant's implant, please forward as much information as is available to CCN Technical Staff. This is often in the form of communication from your participant's surgeon, radiologist or medical team.

My participant can't find any information about their implant from authoritative sources, but has had previous MRIs and assures us it's MR safe. Can they scan?

• Having previous MRIs does not automatically clear their implant to scan at CCN. Most MRIs will be clinical, and there are many meaningful differences between clinical scanners/sequences and research scanners/sequences. Plus, because your participant is receiving no clinical benefit from this scan, CCN and your scanning team should aim for zero risk to protect yourselves and the center.

Will a MR tech be provided for my scans?

• CCN staff are typically on-site during regular hours and happy to help in the case of technical issues, scanner questions, and so on. However, they do not attend every scan as an established primary or secondary user. If you need help with developing protocols or learning to use equipment (e.g., the eyetracker), CCN can set up dedicated support time for you to come in. Otherwise, your lab is responsible for having a team capable of running your scans independently.

Why isn't my project showing up on the system?

• The most likely reason for this is because your project has run out of funds. If you navigate to "Projects" --> "Summary of Existing Projects" (or MRI Scheduling > Scheduling Summary), you'll find information about all your lab's projects. Projects with balances in parenthesis i.e. ($1200.00), are overdrawn and more funds need to be encumbered.

Projects Dropdown

Summary of Existing Projects Attn: Project Balance

How do I transfer my scanning protocols from the BMC scanner to the CCN scanner?

• Please export a copy of the .exar1 files of the scanning protocol from BMC scanner computer and email the .exar1 to CCN Technical Staff, who can import the protocol. Alternately, you can also copy the DICOM data of a subject directly from the BMC scanner computer (or from a server) onto a CD, which can be converted in the exam interface. Please contact CCN lab manager with requests and files for transferring protocols. Note: CCN scanner computer does support data/protocols stored on flash drives, but drives must be virus scanned every time before being connected to the host machine. Sophos anti-virus is available on the CCN iMac next to the scan computer.

Can People Visit CCN for Teaching, Filming, or Other Purposes?

• Contact CCN with as much notice as possible. The Center will need to set up an event and provide waivers for unaffiliated visitors that must be completed before they enter the suite.
• Filming is allowed at CCN, but only through proper channels:
  1. Reach out to UCLA Media team in order to fill out appropriate paper work and acquire proper permits.
  2. Reach out to Semel's Facilities Manager for approval. Email CCN staff for his contact information if your lab does not already have it. Make sure to include all relevant logistical details about the session (who you are, your lab's UCLA affiliation, when and where you are requesting permission to film, purpose and duration of the filming, etc.)