Skip to content
  • Happy Health
  • Happy Mindset
  • Animal Wonders
  • About Us
    • Team
  • Subscribe
Menu
  • Happy Health
  • Happy Mindset
  • Animal Wonders
  • About Us
    • Team
  • Subscribe
Happy News

This “Kitten Scanner” Is Saving Kids

Eight-year-old Rosie was terrified of the massive MRI machine at Grantham District Hospital until she discovered the “kitten scanner”, a miniature toy version that let her practice the procedure before her real scan. The $20,000 teaching aid allows children to pretend-scan stuffed animals while learning exactly what to expect during their actual MRI, transforming one of medicine’s most intimidating procedures into an approachable game. Since its introduction, at least 28 children have avoided the need for general anesthesia before their scans, a remarkable improvement that radiographers credit entirely to the pre-scan playtime with the tiny replica.

Radiographer Helen Disbrow-Carpenter explains that the kitten scanner teaches the crucial skill of staying perfectly still during scanning, resulting in faster procedures and higher-quality images that benefit both patients and medical staff. The United Lincolnshire Hospitals Charity’s investment has already recouped its cost through the money saved on anesthesia procedures, proving that sometimes the most innovative medical solutions come in the smallest, most playful packages. What started as a simple idea to comfort frightened children has evolved into a cost-effective tool that’s revolutionizing pediatric radiology. This ingenious blend of education and play demonstrates that healing doesn’t always require complex technology, sometimes it just takes understanding that a child’s fear can be conquered with the right-sized scanner and a stuffed kitten.

PrevPreviousA Once-Toxic River Just Became Swimmable Again
NextThe Blind Dog Whose Heroic Barking Saved Two Lives From FireNext

Recent Articles

Happy News

This New Underwater Fossil Discovery is 512 Million Year Old

February 6, 2026

Paleontologists have unearthed a treasure trove of fossils from 512 million years ago including 90 species previously unknown to science. The discovery comprises 153 different species from 16 major animal groups including sponges, arthropods and bizarre segmented apex predators known as radiodonts that make up a complex food web, dating

Read More
Happy News

What Makes Some Dogs GENIUS Word Learners

February 6, 2026

Scientists have discovered that some exceptionally skilled dogs called gifted word learners can quickly remember the names of toys, and new research reveals the key factor behind their unusual ability isn’t about curiosity but about their relationship with humans. Animal behaviorist Andrea Sommese of the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna

Read More
Happy News

How Our Voices Affect Dog Behavior

February 6, 2026

Hearing a human voice can affect a dog more than previously thought as new research suggests that angry or happy voices are linked to measurable changes in dogs’ balance, with angry voices often causing destabilizing effects that physically sway their bodies. Scientists led by Nadja Affenzeller at the University of

Read More
« Previous Next »
  • Privacy Notice
  • Accessibility Notice
  • Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
  • Unsubscribe
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Privacy Notice
  • Accessibility Notice
  • Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
  • Unsubscribe
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
Copyright © 2026 HappyNews.