What is meant MRI?

 Produces very clear, detailed pictures of the organs and structures in the body
 It is a form of medical imaging that uses no Ionizing radiation
 MRI makes use of the property of Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to image nuclei of
atoms inside the body.
 Why MRI?

 Utilizes non ionizing radiation. (unlike x-rays)

 Ability to image in any plane. (unlike CT scans).
 Very low incidents of side effects.
 Ability to diagnose, visualize, and evaluate various illnesses.
 The only better way to see the insides of your body is to cut you open!
 Magnetic Resonance Techniques:

Nuclear Spin Phenomenon:

 NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance)
 MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)
 EPI (Echo-Planar Imaging)
 fMRI (Functional MRI)
 MRS (Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy)
 MRSI (MR Spectroscopic Imaging)

Electron Spin Phenomenon :

 ESR (Electron Spin Resonance)
or EPR (Electron Paramagnetic Resonance)
 ELDOR (Electron-electron double resonance)
 ENDOR (Electron-nuclear double resonance)
 Main Components of a Scanner:

 Static Magnetic Field Coils

 Gradient Magnetic Field Coils
 Magnetic shim coils
 Radiofrequency Coil
 Subsystem control computer

 Data transfer and storage computers

 Physiological monitoring, stimulus display, and behavioral recording hardware
How does it work?
 How does it work?

 Images are constructed when protons in different tissues return to equilibrium

state at different rates.
 Five variables effect these rates
Spin Density: Concentration of nuclei in tissue processing in a given region
under a magnetic field.
T1: Longitudinal relaxation time
T2: Transverse relaxation time
Flow: Shows blood flow, CSF flow
Spectral Shifts: Angle/zoom the picture is taken from.
 Imaging Hardware:
 Coils
 Magnets  Resistive  Inductive & capacitive elements allow
 Electromagnet it to resonate
 Permanent  Gradient coils
 Cooled by air
 Solid magnetic material  Create gradients in equilibrium
 Greater resistance
 Weakest magnetic field magnetic fields
 Weaker magnetic field
 Room temperature coils
 Used for open MR
scanners  RF coils
 Superconducting
 Transmit magnetic field
 Arranged in any
 Strongest
 Receive RF signal from spins
position
 Electromagnet
 Various coils for specific applications
 No need for patient to
 Current flows in wire coil to  Surface
be surrounded by
create a magnetic field  Bird cage
magnet
 Nearly zero resistance in  Saddle
wire at temperature close to  Phased-array
absolute zero  Litz
 Cooling achieved with liquid
helium or nitrogen
Fixed field magnet is always on!
 Specialized MRI Scans:
Diffusion MRI
 Measures diffusion of water through
biological tissues.
 Diffusion may be anisotropic (unequal
physical properties along different axes)
 Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI)
 Examine areas of neural degeneration
and demyelination in diseases such as
Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
 Specialized MRI Scans:

Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA)

• Generates pictures of arteries.
• Evaluates the arteries of the neck and brain, the thoracic and abdominal aorta,
the renal arteries, and the legs
• Uses gadolinium injection as paramagnetic contrast agent
• Magnetic resonance venography (MRV) is a similar procedure that is used to image
veins.
 Safety:

 Patients
No biological hazards from magnetic fields yet
discovered
Most pregnant women prohibited from undergoing MR
imaging to prevent possible damage to fetus
Most people with metal implants prohibited
Pacemakers - malfunction due to magnet
Cerebral aneurysm clip - magnet could move clip
Most orthopedic implants safe because they are firmly
embedded in bone
RF coil failure can severely burn patient
 Safety:

 Equipment
Extremely powerful magnets
No ferromagnetic objects allowed near scanner
Example
Bucket pulled off ground and into magnet
Fully loaded pallet jacket pulled into bore
Fix problem
Pull object off magnet
Use forceful device such as a winch
Turn off magnet completely
 PROs of MRI Scans:

 They do not involve exposure to radiation, so they can be safely used in people who might be
particularly vulnerable to the effects of radiation, such as pregnant women and babies,

 They are particularly useful for showing soft tissue structures, such as ligaments and cartilage, and
organs such as the brain, heart, and eyes

 They can provide information about how the blood moves through certain organs and blood vessels,
allowing problems with blood circulation, such as blockages, to be identified.

 MRI scans have specific advantages over X-rays, as they can:

 show swelling and inflammation

 show both three-dimensional and cross-section images of the body

 CONs of MRI Scans:

 MRI scanners are very expensive a single scanner can cost over a million pounds. This means that
the number of scanners that a Primary Care Trust (PCT) can afford to fund is limited.

 The combination of being put in an enclosed space and the loud noises that are made by the magnets
can make some people feel claustrophobic while they are having a MRI scan.

 MRI scanners can be affected by movement, making them unsuitable for investigating problems
such as mouth tumours because coughing, or swallowing, can make the images that are produced
less clear.

 Bone and calcium do not show up on an MRI scan. This means that tissue calcification, a feature of
a number of diseases such as osteoporosis, cannot be detected using MRI scanning.
Applications
 Brain
Tumors
Aneurysms
Blood clots
 Spine
Individual vertebrae
 Knees
 Shoulders
 Hips
 Prevent strokes
 Diagnose Multiple Sclerosis
 CONCLUSION:
 In conclusion,
Magnetic Resonance Imaging is one of the most efficient and inventions in history, MRI made many things
that were not possible earlier, to be possible. Some of these things are the way that MRI examines the body.
MRI does not radiate any unhealthy waves to the body that can be mutate the human gene.

 The principles of physics behind this amazing machine sparked a interest in me and I am hoping for more
people to be influenced by the connection of these concepts to our daily lives.
THANK YOU