Linen for Imaging Centres: Couch Sheets, Towels and Blankets for Radiology

Imaging centres need couch sheets or covers, pillow covers for positioning aids, towels and light blankets, in quantities driven by how many patients each scanner sees per day rather than by the number of rooms. Because couches are changed between every patient, fast-to-change sizes and a reliable stock of clean linen matter more than anything else. For MRI rooms, any linen taken into the scanner room should be checked against your MRI safety policy.

Radiology linen is simple in range but heavy in volume, and the details of size and stock planning make the difference.

How imaging centres use linen

A busy imaging centre may see a patient on each scanner every few minutes. Between patients, staff change the couch sheet or cover, swap pillow covers and offer a fresh blanket. Linen therefore turns over much faster than in a ward, even though the item list is short.

Typical uses by area:

• X-ray rooms: couch sheets for the table, pillow covers, towels for positioning and modesty.
• CT rooms: couch sheets or covers sized to the narrow CT table, pillow covers, light blankets.
• MRI rooms: couch covers, pillow covers and blankets, subject to MRI safety checks.
• Ultrasound rooms: couch sheets, towels for gel removal and modesty cover, pillow covers.
• Mammography and breast imaging: towels and capes, covered in our post on breast imaging capes and gowns.
• Changing and preparation areas: towels and, where needed, blankets.

Patient gowns are a separate category; see our post on patient gowns for MRI.

Sizing linen to imaging tables

Imaging tables are usually narrower than hospital beds and often curved. Standard bed sheets are too wide and too long, which makes them slow to fit, likely to hang into moving parts and wasteful in the laundry.

Practical points:

1. Measure each table type. Length, width and, for curved tables, the width across the curve. A CT table and an X-ray table in the same centre may need different sizes.
2. Decide flat or fitted. Flat couch sheets are quick to lay and suit tables with no edges to tuck under; fitted or elasticated covers stay in place when the table moves.
3. Keep overhang small. Linen hanging over the sides of a moving table can catch. Your radiographers will tell you what is acceptable.
4. Check pillow and positioning aid sizes. Wedges, head rests and knee supports may need their own cover sizes.

MRI rooms: extra checks

MRI scanner rooms have strict rules on what can be taken in. Linen is generally made of fabric without metal parts, but some items can carry hidden risks, such as metal fastenings, certain threads or labels, or linen that has picked up foreign objects in the laundry.

• Specify MRI-room linen without metal fastenings or components.
• Ask your MRI safety lead to approve the items before use, and follow their screening procedure.
• Consider a different colour for MRI-room linen so it is easy to keep separate.
• Check linen for foreign objects before taking it into the scanner room, if your procedure requires it.

The imaging team and MRI safety lead make the final decision on what is allowed in the room.

Reusable linen or couch roll?

Many imaging centres use paper couch roll for speed, reusable couch sheets for comfort and appearance, or both: a reusable cover with paper roll on top that is changed between patients. Each approach has trade-offs in cost, waste, laundry and comfort. Our post on couch roll vs reusable couch sheets compares them in detail. Whatever you choose, follow your infection-control policy on changing between patients.

Fabric and colour choices

Item	Common choice	Notes
Couch sheets and covers	Poly-cotton	Quick drying, smooth, holds shape through frequent laundering
Pillow covers	Poly-cotton	Matched to couch sheets
Towels	Cotton	Absorbent for gel removal and drying
Blankets	Cotton	Light, warm in cool scanner rooms, launders well

White is the usual base. Some centres use a coloured border or a separate colour for MRI-room items or for each modality, which helps staff keep stock where it belongs. A woven, printed or embroidered name or logo helps recover linen from an outsourced laundry.

Planning quantities

Couch linen in imaging centres is driven by throughput:

1. Count patients per scanner per day, using your busiest days, not averages.
2. Count items per patient. For example, one couch sheet, one pillow cover, sometimes a towel and a blanket.
3. Multiply by laundry turnaround. If linen comes back in two days, you need at least that many days in circulation, plus what is in use today.
4. Add a reserve for extended hours, emergencies and damaged items.
5. Keep a small stock in each room and a larger one in a central store, topped up on a schedule.

Because volumes are high, imaging linen often wears out faster than ward linen. Track withdrawals and plan regular replacements.

Room stock and the changeover routine

Fast changeovers depend on linen being exactly where staff need it. Many centres keep a small, closed cupboard or covered trolley in or next to each scanner room, holding a few hours' supply of couch sheets, pillow covers, towels and blankets. A central store tops these up at set times, so radiographers do not leave the room mid-list to find linen.

A simple changeover routine helps too:

• Remove used linen straight into the used-linen bag, without shaking it
• Clean the table and positioning aids as your policy requires
• Lay a fresh couch sheet or cover, smooth and with minimal overhang
• Fit fresh pillow covers and put a folded blanket within reach

Linen that is folded to the right size at the laundry makes this quicker. Agree folding sizes with your laundry so couch sheets can be laid in one movement.

Patient comfort points

Imaging can be stressful, and patients often lie still on a hard table in a cool room. A few linen details help:

• A clean, smooth couch sheet without wrinkles under the back
• A pillow cover that feels fresh rather than paper-thin
• A light blanket offered before the scan starts
• A towel to remove ultrasound gel that is soft and absorbent

A quick checklist for imaging linen

• Table dimensions measured for each scanner type
• Flat or fitted couch linen chosen per room
• Pillow and positioning aid covers sized
• MRI-room linen specified without metal parts and approved by the MRI safety lead
• Colour or border coding for MRI or by modality
• Quantities based on throughput, turnaround and reserve
• Sample tested in your laundry before bulk

Ordering linen for your centre

MISHAREN makes hospital linen to order, including couch sheets, pillow covers, towels and blankets in cotton or poly-cotton, cut to your table dimensions with colours or borders and your logo if required. To request a quotation, send your table sizes and patient volumes through the contact page or see the hospital linen page.