Medicine is always looking for a way to find disease earlier and less invasively. While the future is full of the desire to eradicate disease through genetics or stem cell research, right now being able to look into the body is one of the best things the medical field has. One of the revolutionary technological leaps that allows for great insight into the body is the MRI machine.
MRIs are not the only imaging on the market, usurping x-rays and other kinds of imaging. No, there is a niche for the MRI and they are not appropriate for all patients. This Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) creates detailed internal images through the use of magnets and radio waves.
The magnetic field of an MRI interacts with the actual atoms of the human body and then a radio frequency is applied that changes the magnetic field. This causes the atomic nuclei to actually create a rotating field that is detected by the field and translates this to an image.
These images are especially crisp and clear, making MRI the perfect choice for looking at soft tissues in the body like the heart, brain, and muscles. Tumors are themselves soft tissue and so using an MRI will make it easier to detect even the smallest tumor in the body that can then be targeted for therapy.
Innovation has made sure that the MRI is used in a great number of ways including as a functional MRI. This kind of MRI scan gives a real time image of changes in organs. This means that something like neurological research, scientists can look at the brains of someone with schizophrenia or epilepsy and compare them to normal brains in an effort to see just what the differences are. This can lead to potential new treatments.
The MRI is desirable because it is not invasive. What better way do doctors have to see the inside of the body other than cutting it open? The difference with this kind of scan is that you can see how organs work when not under the influence of anesthesia. The body functions differently when people are awake and processing certain things.
One of the only real issues that a patient has to deal with when it comes to getting an MRI scan is dealing with the claustrophobia of the scanning experience itself. Patients are told to lie completely still as they are placed inside the MRI machine which bombards the person with loud noises from the magnet. There is now open air MRIs in some areas for those with severe claustrophobia. This machine is used in a variety of ways, all of which have proven positive for the medical community.
MRI Machine
MRIs are not the only imaging on the market, usurping x-rays and other kinds of imaging. No, there is a niche for the MRI and they are not appropriate for all patients. This Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) creates detailed internal images through the use of magnets and radio waves.
The magnetic field of an MRI interacts with the actual atoms of the human body and then a radio frequency is applied that changes the magnetic field. This causes the atomic nuclei to actually create a rotating field that is detected by the field and translates this to an image.
These images are especially crisp and clear, making MRI the perfect choice for looking at soft tissues in the body like the heart, brain, and muscles. Tumors are themselves soft tissue and so using an MRI will make it easier to detect even the smallest tumor in the body that can then be targeted for therapy.
Innovation has made sure that the MRI is used in a great number of ways including as a functional MRI. This kind of MRI scan gives a real time image of changes in organs. This means that something like neurological research, scientists can look at the brains of someone with schizophrenia or epilepsy and compare them to normal brains in an effort to see just what the differences are. This can lead to potential new treatments.
The MRI is desirable because it is not invasive. What better way do doctors have to see the inside of the body other than cutting it open? The difference with this kind of scan is that you can see how organs work when not under the influence of anesthesia. The body functions differently when people are awake and processing certain things.
One of the only real issues that a patient has to deal with when it comes to getting an MRI scan is dealing with the claustrophobia of the scanning experience itself. Patients are told to lie completely still as they are placed inside the MRI machine which bombards the person with loud noises from the magnet. There is now open air MRIs in some areas for those with severe claustrophobia. This machine is used in a variety of ways, all of which have proven positive for the medical community.
MRI Machine
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