Royal Philips and The Walt Disney Co. are rolling out a Disney-themed MRI experience aimed at making the scans less stressful for children, with promising results reported at Rady Children’s Health in Orange County, one of the pilot hospitals.

Philips, a health technology company, and Disney announced the launch of their collaboration Thursday, May 28, with Rady Children’s, formerly CHOC, in Orange, among the first hospitals around the world to adopt the technology. The system will be rolled out at medical facilities in 87 countries, with early adopters also including pilot hospitals across Europe and the United Kingdom’s Calderdale Royal Hospital.

“Let’s face it: Nobody loves having an MRI. It can be intimidating enough, but it’s really overwhelming for kids,” said Dr. Atul Gupta, chief medical officer for diagnosis and treatment at Philips.

Officials at the children’s hospital said many of the young patients experience anxiety during MRI procedures, which can lead to them moving around, and that means incomplete scans or repeat imaging. The new Philips Ambient Experience for MRI uses synchronized lighting, sound and visuals alongside familiar Disney characters, including from “The Little Mermaid” and Mickey Mouse, to help children stay calm.

That has been improving completion rates at pediatric imaging centers facing backlogs, officials said.

“Instead of asking a child to adapt to the healthcare environment, you’re transforming the healthcare environment to better support the child,” said Andrew Ruiz, director of imaging services at Rady Children’s Health.

For 8-year-old Jordan Mosley, a patient at the Orange hospital, having the ability to exert some control over his environment helped him to successfully complete a scan without being placed under anesthesia. After selecting a Spider-Man theme for his MRI, Jordan, who was also wearing a red Spider-Man shirt, said he felt “great” after the scan.

“This was the very first time that we did his MRI without anesthesia, with him picking Spider-Man and being engaged into this virtual, kind of magical environment that he liked,” said Dr. Azam Eghbal, a pediatric radiologist and medical director of the radiology department at Rady Children’s Orange County.

Young children, particularly those under age 10, are least able to cooperate during MRI procedures, requiring medical staff to use anesthesia to complete a scan, Eghbal said.

“Sometimes they just get scared. They start crying,” she said. “So anytime that happens, then we bring them out, talk to them … ‘We’re not poking you. We’re not doing anything. You just lay down.’ “

When asked how often anesthesia is usually required, Eghbal said the standard nationwide ranges from about 70% to 75% of the time, and sometimes even 80%, depending on the procedure. She said some young patients who previously needed anesthesia for MRI exams may be able to complete scans awake when the experience is made less intimidating.

“Making it like this makes it an adventure and fun — very different from, ‘Oh, I’ve got to do this again,’ ” she said. “It’s a burden. It goes from truly a burden in the family to, ‘Oh, we’re just gonna go play around, watch a movie, engage in some activities and then come back.’ “