Closed MRIs have been around longer than open MRIs, and they use a capsule-like environment in which you lie to get high-quality images. A huge magnet and radio wave are used in the system to send and receive signals to and from your body. Open MRIs are exactly what they sound like. They are open while still taking photographs of the inside of your body with magnets. The open MRI employs a magnet top and bottom and is open on all four sides, rather than an enclosed capsule. These significantly reduce the danger of claustrophobia and panic attacks, and allow patients of different shapes and sizes to undergo an MRI to effectively assess their conditions.