Magnetic+resonance+imaging

toc Photo Courtesy of GettyImages.com =Definition:= A scanner that is mainly used in medicine to invasivly examine the inside of a person or thing without touching the patient. The MRI uses powerful magnetic field, radio waves, and a computer to produce defined pictures of the organs of objects in a person or thing. =History:= The phenomenon of the MRI was first attempted in the 1930's. In 1946 the first successful use of the NMR or nuclear Magnetic resonance experiment by two independant scientists named Felix Bloch and Edward Purcell. In 1971 the first working MRI was developed by Raymond V. Damadian. He thought of the idea to use it as a tool for the medical field. This brief summary only scratches the surface of the MRI scanner's [|history].The MRI scanner has never been known to do any damage to the body or have any side effects. It is a safe procedure but a costly one. In the future there will be portable scanners which researchers are working on right now. =Equipment:= This is latest model of the MRI scanner that is currently in use. It uses advanced computer technology. It's the safest and has the most detailed images from its magnetic waves. The usual equipment is a big round dough-nut like shaped tube surrounded by magnets. The magnets circle the body and take many cuts/images of the body to try and detect everything possible as you move through the tube. Some people are claustrophobic and are afraid of being in [|closed] spaces. For these types of people they have scanners that are open on all sides called short-bore systems. This type of scanner can also be used for obese patients. The pictures might not turn out as well but thats the only way they can do it. Also, some scans can't be completed with this type of scanner. MRI photo Courtesy of [|Flickr.com] =Radical Facts:= The MRI scanner takes pictures of the inside of the human body. It takes cuts of the body any way that you can imagine. When going through the process of the MRI scan the patient absolutely cannot wear metal. Because of the magnets in the machine, the metal will rip right off of your body. The computer that produces the images of the body are kept in a separate room. The only known [|risks] of the MRI scan are if you have metal of any type in your body. Other than that it is harmless. If a patient can't go through with the scan then they are usually holding a button or a buzzer to contact someone to get them out. To relax a patient they can take a mild sedative before the scan. The patient needs to be as calm as possible and stay as still as possible for the best results. The ETA or estimated time average for the procedure is 30-90 minutes depending on the [|area] being scanned. There is a very [|weird] yet musical fact that includes the MRI scanner and the violin. "If a violinist is placed into an MRI machine, we can see that a much larger area of the brain - the right primary motor cortex - is devoted to his or her left fingers when compared with a non-violinist. Two or three times as large, in fact. Violinists also have more connections between the two sides of the brainwhich account for the better co-ordination they have between each hand compared with a non-violin player." (Richard Hellinger). At the very end of the [|page] i found there are some terrifying facts about the MRI scanner. Enjoy! (if you dare) =Commen Uses of the MRI scanner:= Some commen [|uses] of the MRI scanner include evaluating organs to see if they are cancerous or not. Some of these organs might be the heart, lungs, liver, biliary tract, kidney, spleen, and the pancreas. The reproductive organs also evaluated using the MRI scanner. Pelvic and hip bones are also scanned. Some blood vessels are also included. The scan can also be used for treatments. If the body is scanned and cancer is actually found then they can use these scans to treat the located area. Being able to detect diseases is the main point of the MRI. It is usually Doctor prescribed if they think something serious is going on.The MRI is also used in examining tissue as well as bones. If an x-ray can't determine in a bone has been broken the MRI is used to fully conclude if there is something wrong with the bone or muscle tissue surronding the bone. Photo courtesy of [|Flickr.com]

=The Future of MRI scanners:= The future of MRI scanners is very unpredictable, but there is no doubt that the possibilities are unlimited. MRI scanners have only been in use for about 20 years, where as X-Rays have successfully been in use for over 100 years. At the moment there are some smaller MRI scanners that only fit certain body parts such as the arm or even a foot. These machines are much smaller than the large doughnut shaped machines which is very helpful in conserving space. Some scientists hope to one day perform functional brain mapping, which is the idea of performing an MRI scan while someone is performing a simple task, such as picking something up to, see how the brain reacts and functions.