This video explains in a simple and easy to understand way how MRI technology works and how it is able to give a detailed image of the human body.
MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) History
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| The first MRI machine with it's creator Dr Damadian |
In 1937 Dr Isidor Rabi discovered that atoms produce radio waves when exposed to a strong magnetic field. This was called NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance). At this time NMR was only used on small samples. In 1946, Felix Bloch and Edward Purcell discovered that MRI can be used to examine chemical compounds. In 1971, Raymond Damadian discovered that the relaxation time of diseased tissue and tumours differed from normal tissue and that MRI can tell them apart. Damadian’s discovery led to the use of MRI to study diseases. In 1973, Paul Lauterbur used NMR to create the first NMR image on a mouse. On July 3, 1977, a prototype MRI was completed and the first MRI scan on a Human was performed. 5 hours later the first Human MRI image was produced. Over the next 20 years MRI has advanced into the modern MRI used commonly by doctors and MIR specialists.
Today
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| A General Electric MRI machine |
MRI has only been around for decades and it is a very important tool used in medicine. MRI is now commonly used to view the inside of a person safely. MRI is one of the most commonly used diagnostic medical imaging techniques because it uses no radiation unlike CT scans and X-Ray. Even though MRI is expensive its uses are worth it. Some reasons that people use the MRI is to see the inside of the body without radiation and get a detailed picture of any part of the body. The MRI is so detailed that people are able to tell cancerous tissue apart from normal tissue. The MRI is great at producing images of the heart, brain, muscle, soft tissue and cancer. When a person goes for a MRI scan they lie down in a tube as magnets spin the hydrogen atoms in their body to create a radio signal that can be made into an image of the part of the body scanned. This is very safe (unless you have a big metal object inside your body). That is why more people take MRI scans to make sure they are healthy.
Future
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| An image taken by a Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging machine (fMRI) and show brain activity. |
The MRI has already been an important part of medical research. In the future the use of MRI will increase and become more important than it already is. MRI is only a few decades old and has not been perfected. The best of MRI is still to come. In the future they will improve the technology and the MRI will become better. Even though there are more advanced and more technological equipment, MRI will still be important and will definitely be used in the future. MRI does cost a lot and it will take money to improve them but it is definitely worth it. The money it costs is worth it compared to its uses and the uses will keep on increasing. MRI is just getting started and we have more to see of it. MRI will still be important in the future and it will become better
Pro and Cons
Pros:
· MRI shows the inside of the body in good detail and can be used to detect issues easily.
· MRI is safe and causes no physical side effects.
· MRI does not use radiation so is safe for those operating it as well as the patient.
· MRI can show cancer and other diseases can you cannot see on the outside of the body.
· MRI can scan any part of the body in great detail and can provide a 3D image.
Cons:
· MRI is inconvenient because the patient must lie still for up to an hour and not have any metal objects on/in them as the will be ripped out by the powerful magnets.
· If the patient moves the scan might have to be done again. It is a delicate operation.
· The patient might have psychological effects such as claustrophobia.
· MIR machines are expensive to make and run.
· MRI machines are large and inconvenient.
We would like to thank Jacqueline Orian for sparing her time to allow her to be interviewed by us. We have gained useful information from her.
Useful Links & Bibliography:
