More than a check-up.

Exams take about 75 minutes from start to finish including time for changing. We value your time and make your visit as efficient as possible.

Yes! Gemini Exams are conducted in-person at our Center. We continually strive to make them as efficient as possible, and work to accommodate busy schedules by offering early morning appointments.

Our first exams begin at 7am and are the most popular given that we request that you fast starting 12 hours prior to your blood draw. We are open Monday through Friday every week, excluding Federal Holidays.

Our Q Bio Center is located in Redwood City, California.

We currently do not accept insurance. However, Gemini Exams qualify for HSA / FSA accounts.

Yes, payment must be for the individual, their spouse, or their tax dependent. Please consult with your tax professional to determine if your specific HSA or FSA can be used to pay for a Gemini exam. You will want to save receipts for documentation, and provide these to your tax professional.

We currently do not accept anyone under the age of 22.

Certain conditions, such as metal or electronic implants, can prevent one from having an MRI scan. Pregnancy and recent events like surgery or transfusions can prohibit you from completing a Gemini Exam in the near term. We encourage you to go through our registration process, which will screen for these things and more. If it appears that you have a contraindication to any component of the exam, someone from our team will reach out to you to discuss in detail.

Please contact support@q.bio if you have any further questions.

We are open five days a week at our Redwood City center, and our scheduling team will work to find the soonest available appointment for you. Depending upon your availability, this is usually within a month.

You will complete a safety check questionnaire prior to your exam.

You will also need to fast beginning 12 hours in advance of your Gemini Exam. Eating food or ingesting sugary drinks may result in variable laboratory results. Even non-caloric flavors can make your body react. Please refrain from eating food or drinking anything other than water within 12 hours of your Gemini Exam. Do stay hydrated with plain (non-carbonated, non-flavored) water.

Please consult your doctor about whether it is advisable to stop your medications before a blood test. If you are unsure, do not stop any prescription medication.

We will also be sending you this information right before your Gemini Exam with any reminders and information you require. As always, if you have any questions about any of the steps above, please do not hesitate to reach out to support@q.bio

• You will be asked to remove any metallic objects or clothing and keep them outside the MRI room. We will also ask about your music preferences if you want to listen to something on Spotify.
• Once inside, you will lie down on a table and we will add coils on top of you that detect the radio waves the scan generates.
• We will give you earplugs for the noise, and a headset to hear your music selection and the technologist’s instructions on the two-way intercom.
• You will have a pulse oximeter clipped on one of your fingers so we can see your heart rhythm. In your other hand, you will have a squeezable alarm ball in case you want to alert the technologist to any discomfort.
• When ready on the table, you will slide into the magnet (which is open at both ends and well ventilated with a fan). We might ask that you close your eyes when we use a weak laser to position you on the table correctly.
• While the machine is actively scanning, you will hear loud pulses and clicks, which are minimized with your headset and earplugs.
• You will need to lie still for the actual scanning and we will ask you to hold your breath for up to 22 seconds while we are imaging your torso.

Let us know if you have any specific concerns. Our phlebotomists are well-trained and may be able to help you have an easier experience. It can be helpful for us to know to keep your chair reclined for the procedure, for instance.

We draw blood for testing and understand that some people find this to be uncomfortable but not very painful. MRIs do not hurt and do not use ionization radiation and we do not give intravenous contrast for our procedure.

We do not give intravenous contrast for our MRI procedure.

Your cell phone and wireless routers at home use higher energy radiation than an MRI does. The Radio-Frequencies (RF) used in MRI are non-ionizing and are therefore significantly more safe than more energetic frequencies used in XRay, CT or PET scanners. RF can be dangerous if you have ferromagnetic implants or clothing/jewelry, as it can heat these up quickly. This is why we do a thorough safety check and also remind you to leave any metal outside of the MRI room.