MEDICAL IMAGING EQUIPMENT RELOCATION
Medical Imaging Equipment Relocation in Montreal — MRI, CT, PET/CT & Specialty Imaging Systems
Logistiques CNS executes the physical relocation of medical imaging systems — MRI scanners, CT scanners, PET/CT, fluoroscopy, mammography, and specialty imaging equipment. We coordinate directly with your OEM service team (Siemens Healthineers, GE HealthCare, Philips, Canon Medical) for magnet ramp-down, cryogen management, shimming, and post-install recommissioning — while our crew handles the physical transport, site survey, non-magnetic rigging where required, floor-load verification, and GPS-tracked transit. Over 200 laboratory and medical relocations completed since 2018, including the precision delivery of a multi-million-dollar DNBSEQ-T7 genomic sequencer into a downtown Montreal research facility with no loading dock. Headquartered in Saint-Laurent, minutes from Technoparc Montréal.
WHY IMAGING RELOCATIONS DIFFER
Medical Imaging Is Not a Normal Equipment Move
Medical imaging systems — MRI in particular — combine a superconducting magnet cooled to near-absolute-zero, a finite and supply-constrained liquid helium inventory, powerful magnetic fields that can attract ferromagnetic objects from across a room, and OEM-mandated recommissioning that controls whether the system is clinically usable again.
The physical move is one piece of a larger project. Logistiques CNS does that piece well — rigging, transport, site coordination, GPS and cryogen-level logging — while working tightly alongside the OEM service team that controls the magnet itself.
REFERENCE STANDARDS
Health Canada — Medical Devices Regulations ↗
SOR/98-282 — federal regulations governing medical device manufacture, import, sale, and use in Canada. Relevant to recommissioning and clinical acceptance after relocation.
Canadian Association of Radiologists (CAR) ↗
National accreditation standards for diagnostic imaging facilities. Post-move image quality verification aligns with CAR recommendations.
Transport Canada — TDG Regulations ↗
Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations — governs cryogen-transport aspects of MRI relocations (liquid helium, Class 2.2 refrigerated liquids).
CNESST — Quebec Workplace Safety ↗
Provincial workplace safety standards including rigging and heavy-equipment handling requirements that apply to imaging-system installation.
TECHNICAL REFERENCE
- ✓MRI magnets use superconducting coils cooled by liquid helium at ~4 Kelvin (-269°C). A 1.5T scanner typically holds 1,500 to 2,000 litres of liquid helium; 3T systems often hold more.
- ✓Two transport strategies: (1) persistence — magnet remains energized, field maintained throughout the move, preserves helium inventory, requires strict non-magnetic discipline; (2) controlled quench — magnet is intentionally ramped down by OEM service, helium released as gas through the quench pipe, system moved de-energized, then re-energized and refilled at destination.
- ✓Helium supply 2026: global helium market is supply-constrained with allocation limits from major gas vendors. Refill costs for a quenched magnet can exceed $30,000 CAD and supply delays can keep a quenched magnet idle for weeks — which drives more facilities toward persistence transport when feasible.
- ✓CT scanners use X-ray, not cryogens. No magnetic-field or helium considerations, but destination installation requires a radiation survey by a qualified health physicist. PET / PET-CT is moved empty of radioactive tracers; licensed physicist recommissioning at destination.
- ✓Quench pipes are the rigid ventilation system that releases helium gas safely to the rooftop. Origin quench pipe is disconnected during move; destination pipe must be verified operational before the magnet is re-energized. Fringe field extends beyond the bore — during persistence transport, a 5-gauss safety zone is maintained around the vehicle.
SCOPE SEPARATION
What We Execute — And What the OEM Executes
The OEM owns the magnet. CNS owns the move. Radiology facility managers recognize that a mover who knows where that line sits — and who speaks fluently with OEM field-service engineers about persistence vs quench, non-magnetic rigging, and quench-pipe coordination — is a different animal from a generic heavy-freight mover.
What Logistiques CNS Executes
- ✓Pre-move site survey at both origin and destination — access route assessment, doorway and corridor measurement, ceiling-height verification, floor-load calculation, elevator capacity or crane access
- ✓Non-magnetic rigging deployment for persistence MRI transport — all tools, hardware, straps, and lift equipment within the 5-gauss zone must be non-ferromagnetic (aluminum, titanium, brass, verified stainless grades)
- ✓Air-ride suspension transport for vibration-sensitive systems
- ✓GPS tracking and real-time transit monitoring; for persistence moves, cryogen level logged at defined intervals
- ✓Building access and permitting — dock access, street closures, crane permits, off-hours security coordination
- ✓Coordination with OEM service team — our project manager syncs directly with your OEM Field Service Engineer on schedule, access, and handoff points
- ✓Chain-of-custody documentation from OEM sign-off at origin through OEM sign-off at destination
What the OEM Executes (CNS Coordinates With)
- →Magnet ramp-down (controlled quench) or persistence preparation
- →Helium recovery during ramp-down where applicable (cryo-compressor capture systems)
- →Quench pipe disconnection at origin and verification at destination
- →Fringe field mapping and 5-gauss zone documentation
- →Post-install shimming (fine magnetic field uniformity adjustment)
- →Gradient and RF subsystem testing, phantom-based image quality verification, clinical acceptance testing
- →Final commissioning sign-off certifying clinical readiness; for CT / PET, radiation survey and licensed health physicist recommissioning
The OEM owns the magnet. CNS owns the move. Radiology facility managers recognize that a mover who knows where that line sits — and who speaks fluently with OEM field-service engineers about persistence vs quench, non-magnetic rigging, and quench-pipe coordination — is a different animal from a generic heavy-freight mover.
RELOCATION PROCESS
Our Medical Imaging Relocation Process
Pre-Move Site Survey & OEM Consultation
On-site walkthroughs at origin and destination. OEM transport strategy (persistence vs quench) confirmed. Access routes measured, floor loads verified against OEM specifications.
OEM Service Coordination
Our project manager works directly with your OEM Field Service Engineer. Schedule alignment, decommissioning date confirmation, handoff documentation, persistence-mode discipline brief for the crew.
Controlled Decommissioning & Rigging
OEM performs ramp-down or persistence prep. CNS deploys non-magnetic rigging where required, air-ride transport vehicle staged, access path cleared, any required crane or exterior access arranged.
GPS-Tracked Transit
Transport under OEM guidance. For persistence moves, cryogen level logged at defined intervals. Route pre-planned to avoid magnetic interference sources and maintain the 5-gauss zone.
Destination Placement
Precise positioning coordinated with OEM for quench pipe alignment, RF shielding integrity, utility connections, and patient-table spatial reference. Floor pads, vibration isolation, environmental controls verified.
OEM Recommissioning Handoff
OEM shimming, subsystem calibration, phantom-based image quality verification, clinical acceptance. CNS delivers complete chain-of-custody dossier: site assessment records, transport strategy documentation, transit logs (GPS, cryogen if applicable), OEM sign-offs at both ends.
PRECEDENT
Precedent — Precision Delivery of Multi-Million-Dollar Scientific Systems Into Constrained Urban Sites
Logistiques CNS was contracted by MGI Tech Canada to deliver and install a DNBSEQ-T7 genetic sequencer — a multi-million-dollar, 2,500 lb (1,100+ kg) genomic system — into a downtown Montreal research facility with no loading dock, restricted alley access, tight corridors, and structural limitations. Our team deployed hydraulic liftgates rated for 3,000+ lb and used precision skidding techniques to navigate the unit through narrow passages to its final placement.
Why this matters for medical imaging work: the disciplines transfer directly. An MRI scanner weighs 4,000 to 15,000 kg; a CT scanner 1,800 to 3,000 kg. Delivering heavy scientific systems into constrained urban environments requires exactly the planning the DNBSEQ project demanded — advance site survey, floor-load assessment, access-path clearance, elevator or crane verification, structural-limit analysis, and coordinated staging.
HANDLING BY CATEGORY
Medical Imaging Equipment We Relocate
MRI Scanners (1.5T, 3T, 7T)
Superconducting magnet systems from Siemens, GE HealthCare, Philips, Canon. Persistence or controlled-quench transport per OEM decision. Weights 4,000–15,000 kg. Non-magnetic rigging within 5-gauss zone.
CT Scanners
X-ray-based systems from all major OEMs. Weights 1,800–3,000 kg. No cryogen or magnetic-field considerations; destination requires radiation survey by qualified health physicist before clinical use.
PET / PET-CT
Positron emission tomography with radioactive tracer workflow. Moved empty of radioactive material. Lead shielding transported as integrated component. Licensed physicist recommissioning at destination.
Fluoroscopy & C-Arm Systems
Mobile and fixed fluoroscopy systems used in cardiac cath labs, interventional radiology, and OR support. Boom arms disassembled for transport per OEM specifications.
Mammography Systems
Digital mammography (2D and tomosynthesis 3D). Compact footprint but precise vertical alignment required for image quality; OEM calibration at destination.
Ultrasound Systems & Portable Imaging
Cart-based and portable ultrasound, point-of-care imaging. ESD-safe handling, transducer protection, standard climate-controlled transport.
Specialty Imaging (Cryo-EM, PET-MRI)
Research-grade imaging systems combining multiple modalities — cryo-electron microscopy, hybrid PET-MRI, preclinical small-animal imaging. Multi-vendor coordination required.
Imaging Suite Infrastructure
RF shielding panels, cable trays, power conditioning equipment, cooling system components, patient tables and consoles. Moved as a coordinated package with the primary imaging system.
MONTREAL CONTEXT
Serving Montreal's Hospital and Research Network
Montreal is home to one of North America's densest concentrations of imaging-equipped research and clinical institutions — the McGill University Health Centre (CUSM/MUHC), the Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), the Jewish General Hospital, the Montreal Neurological Institute, the Douglas Research Centre, and dozens of private imaging clinics across the Island. Logistiques CNS's headquarters in Saint-Laurent puts us within short transit of all of these institutions, and our NIR interprovincial license covers Montreal–Toronto and Montreal–Ottawa corridor moves when imaging equipment transitions between research sites across Quebec and Ontario.
Named clients served: McGill University Faculty of Medicine, Concordia University, LifeLabs Canada, MGI Tech Canada, Ananda Devices, and Tapis Nouraie.
FAQ
Medical Imaging Relocation FAQ
Does Logistiques CNS handle the MRI magnet ramp-down?+
Do you support persistence transport for MRI systems?+
What about CT and PET/CT scanners — same OEM coordination?+
What documentation do you provide for imaging relocations?+
How far in advance should we engage CNS for an MRI or CT relocation?+
Do you coordinate with Canadian Association of Radiologists standards or Health Canada inspectors?+
RELATED SERVICES
Related Logistiques CNS Services
RESOURCES
Medical Imaging Relocation Resources
Standards & Authority Sources
Medical Imaging Equipment Relocation — Intake Form
Complete this form to help us plan your imaging equipment relocation. Our project management team will respond within 12 business hours.
What Happens Next
1. We Review Your Submission
Our project management team reviews your intake form and prepares a preliminary assessment within 12 business hours.
2. Site Survey & OEM Alignment
We schedule a site survey at origin and destination and align directly with your OEM Field Service Engineer's decommissioning schedule.
3. Detailed Proposal
You receive a move proposal with timeline, crew requirements, rigging plan, documentation package, and pricing.
Coverage: Montreal, Laval, Longueuil, Quebec City, Ottawa, Toronto, and all points between.
Need urgent help?
Call (514) 416-9610