Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
Overview
MRI scan of a brain tumor
MRI stands for Magnetic Resonance Imaging which is a scan that is useful for imaging the structure and function of the brain, heart, liver, soft tissues and inside of the bones. It can be used to diagnose forms of cancer, brain diseases and cardiovascular conditions. It's purpose is to give detailed images of body parts by not using radiation. When this scan was first introduced it was called nuclear magnetic imaging (NMI) but in the mid-1980s, researchers changed the name from nuclear to magnetic due to the negative reaction from the public.
MRI scans were developed since plain radiographs only have two important imitations. In a radiograph it is hard to display the three-dimensional area being examined within a two-dimensional x-ray picture. Also, the x-rays cannot show the difference among various soft tissues such as blood, nerves or muscles and other organs such as liver, pancreas and spleen, unless a special type of contrast material is used in the procedure. MRI scans do not use x-rays unlike CT scans or plain radiographs instead they use a powerful magnetic field and pulses of radio wave energy to provide detailed images of organs and other structures in the body. The magnets in the magnetic field interact with the hydrogen atoms in our body, which are found in the water stored in our body. This allows the doctors to see detailed images of the stucture of the body part by using a specialized computer along with the help of the magnetic field and radio frequencies. Magnetic resonance imaging is cost-effective and a better way to view fetal imaging since it can provide much more information than an ultrasound and it does not use ionizing radiation like x-rays. MRI can also be used for needle guidance during interventional procedures such as tissue biopsy and for determining how far along a tumor is.
The MRI scanner is cylindrical tube surrounded by a circular magnet that contains the magnet and detectors. The patient lies on a moveable examination table that slides in and out of the center of the magnet. There is also the specialized computer that processes all the imaging information, it is placed in a different room (a glass mirror will separate the scanner and the computer). Patients must remove all metals, credit cards and other belongings before being placed into the scanner (patients with any type of metal in their teeth won't have to take it off but the images will not be clear as an image with no metals in it). The whole procedure is painless but since the space is limited, movement is not allowed for patients (movement can also disrupt the imaging).
MRI scanners have helped the biotechnology world a whole lot since it has changed the way x-rays now operate. MRI scanners do not use radiation which is very helpful to the health of the patients and has improved for many new technologies. In the end, this invention is very helpful for all citizens to see more into their health.
MRI scans were developed since plain radiographs only have two important imitations. In a radiograph it is hard to display the three-dimensional area being examined within a two-dimensional x-ray picture. Also, the x-rays cannot show the difference among various soft tissues such as blood, nerves or muscles and other organs such as liver, pancreas and spleen, unless a special type of contrast material is used in the procedure. MRI scans do not use x-rays unlike CT scans or plain radiographs instead they use a powerful magnetic field and pulses of radio wave energy to provide detailed images of organs and other structures in the body. The magnets in the magnetic field interact with the hydrogen atoms in our body, which are found in the water stored in our body. This allows the doctors to see detailed images of the stucture of the body part by using a specialized computer along with the help of the magnetic field and radio frequencies. Magnetic resonance imaging is cost-effective and a better way to view fetal imaging since it can provide much more information than an ultrasound and it does not use ionizing radiation like x-rays. MRI can also be used for needle guidance during interventional procedures such as tissue biopsy and for determining how far along a tumor is.
The MRI scanner is cylindrical tube surrounded by a circular magnet that contains the magnet and detectors. The patient lies on a moveable examination table that slides in and out of the center of the magnet. There is also the specialized computer that processes all the imaging information, it is placed in a different room (a glass mirror will separate the scanner and the computer). Patients must remove all metals, credit cards and other belongings before being placed into the scanner (patients with any type of metal in their teeth won't have to take it off but the images will not be clear as an image with no metals in it). The whole procedure is painless but since the space is limited, movement is not allowed for patients (movement can also disrupt the imaging).
MRI scanners have helped the biotechnology world a whole lot since it has changed the way x-rays now operate. MRI scanners do not use radiation which is very helpful to the health of the patients and has improved for many new technologies. In the end, this invention is very helpful for all citizens to see more into their health.