MRI is an imaging system that is applied in radiology in visualizing the interior composition of the human anatomy in fine details. The MRI process in medical practice uses the properties of magnetic resonance in creating images of the nuclei of the body cells and as a result it creates a detailed image of the body structure as compared to the X-rays. The MRI technique has had a rapid development within the field of medicine since the introduction of the early MRI equipment in medical care at the start of the 1980s. Consequently, by the year 2002, it is estimated that more than 25,000 MRI equipments are in active use globally with more than 50 million MRI examinations being performed annually (Rosen and Lenkinski 332).
The MRI technology has become the fundamental technique in the medical field in the standard diagnosis of several medical conditions and the process has replaced the popular computed tomography (CT) technology. MRI is widely applied and used in medical practices as it is invasive free, uses non-ionising form of radiation apart from having an enhanced soft-tissue resolution. The development of the MRI technology has integrated a team of experts from several disciplines such as radiologists, technicians, doctors and scientists whose combined efforts have contributed to the increased clinical value and efficiency of the technique. The MRI technology is founded on a physics fact that was discovered during the early 1930s, referred as nuclear magnetic resonance where magnetic fields and directed radio waves force the nuclei to emit tiny radio signals (Venook 177).
The initial experiments that were a success with regards to nuclear magnetic resonance were carried out separately in the year 1946 in the United States by two scientists Felix Bloch and Edward Purcell from Stanford and Harvard University respectively. From the experiments, Felix and Edward discovered that when particular nuclei are positioned in strong magnetic fields they absorb energy and they also release the energy when the nuclei shifts back to the initial state (Kuperman 322). The study related to the results that were shown by Sir Joseph Larmor in 1932 that resulted in the development of the Larmor relationship where the angular frequency of the nuclei spin is proportional to the magnetic field strength also called nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). As a result, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy was established and it became a vital medical procedure used in studying the compositions of chemical compounds (Rosen and Lenkinski 335).
The development history of the MRI is credited to Paul Lautebur and Peter Mansfield who were accredited with a Nobel Prize in the year 2003 in recognition of their inventions with regards to MRI. Lauterbur, a Chemistry Professor, though his imaging experiments transformed the field of science from the one dimension of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy into the two dimension spatial orientation which became the base of MRI development. In addition, Mansfield further contributed to the development in utilizing gradients in the magnetic fields as he demonstrated how magnetic signals can be mathematically be analyzed in developing useful imaging techniques. In addition, Mansfield demonstrated the process of achieving extremely high speed imaging, a technique that became a reality a decade later in the field of medicine (Kuperman 326).
During the late 1950's and early 1960's nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy was widely applied in analysing small samples non-destructively at the microscopic levels using high field magnets. Raymond Damadian who was a medical doctor and a researcher is credited with the initial patent in the area of magnetic resonance imaging in the year 1970 after he discovered the foundation of applying MRI as a means of medical diagnosis. Damadian discovered that several types of animal tissues under the MRI release a response signal that varies in length while the cancerous tissues emit a response signals that is longer as compared to non cancerous tissues. In a period of two years, Damadian filed the idea of applying MRI as equipment used in medical diagnosis and imaging with the Patent Office in United States. He was granted a patent was in the year 1975 in the field of magnetic resonance imaging and in 1977 he finalized the construction of the initial full body MRI scanner that was referred as the Indomitable (Venook 183).
In 1980, the MRI advanced further when Paul Bottomley and his team linked up with the GE Research Centre in Schenectady where they developed an enhanced MRI scanner using high field strength magnets. As a result, Bottomley and his team developed the first high magnetic field full body MRI scanner that effectively overcame the challenge of coil design, radio frequency penetration and high signal-to-noise levels. The development resulted in the development of highly successful 1.5T magnetic resonance imaging product lines with more than 21,000 MRI systems in application presently (Hendee 493). Bottomley also was the brain behind the early localized magnetic resonance imaging of the human heart and brain. Even though magnetic resonance imaging is often carried out at 1.5T, high magnetic fields for MRI scanning, for instance 3T have gained more popularity in the medical field due to their enhanced sensitivity and resolution (Atlas 56).
The MRI technology was rapidly applied in developing MRI spectrometers and other scientific equipments applied in expansively in analytical chemistry and in the early 80s researchers and scientists pioneered the development of the MRI technique. The MRI technology by late 1980s had achieved a considerable ground in the field of clinical medicine surpassing the computer-aided tomography scanners that were used in diagnosing several diseases and damage of the soft human body tissues. According to Rosen and Lenkinski, the MRI technique was made viable by combining knowledge on the spinning characteristic of matter with the application of mathematical analysis and high flux magnets (335).
Fundamental research under the supported of National Science Foundation resulted in the development of MRI technology that is presently used in hospitals in diagnosing tumours, inner damage to tissues and investigating the distinction in the brain tissues. As a result, the early research and development that started when Stanford and Harvard University researchers analysed the idea of nuclear magnetic resonance resulted in the improvement of MRI technology in the medical field during the early 1970s to present (Venook 179).
In conclusion, the MRI technology is extensively used in several hospitals and research institutes as a non invasive process that aids doctors in diagnosing a variety of medical conditions. The development of MRI technology was established on the physics idea that was discovered during the 1930s referred as the nuclear magnetic resonance. The NMR involves the release of tiny radio signals from atoms that have been exposed to radio waves and strong magnetic fields. As a result, the development of MRI scanning process has led to the improvement in the present form of diagnosis where the internal body tissues can be observed without the need of surgery, dangerous dyes and x-rays. This is because the MRI scanners mainly use magnetism and radio waves in producing clear images of an individual’s anatomy (Hendee 493).
Works Cited
Atlas, Scott. Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Brain and Spine. Philadelphia, Pa: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2008. Print.
Hendee, William. “Magnetic Resonance Imaging Part I - Physical Principles”. West Journal of Medicine 141.4 (2009):491–500. Print.
Kuperman, Vadim. Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Physical Principles and Applications. San Diego: Academic Press, 2000. Print.
Rosen, Yael and Lenkinski Robert. “The Recent advances in magnetic resonance neurospectroscopy”. Neurotherapeutics 27.3 (2007): 330–45. Print.
Venook, Richard. “Pre-polarized magnetic resonance imaging around metal orthopaedic implants”. Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine Journal 56.1(2010): 177–186. Print.
