Magnetic Resonance Imaging Essay

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Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is one of the medical imaging modality which provides excellent internal structures of the body using magnetic radiation (WHO, 2014). Better Health Channel (2011) suggested MRI is notably helpful visualizing contrasts of body organs and soft tissues, WHO pointed out MRI generates excellent images of the brain, spine, muscles, joints and other body structures. The images generated by the MRI machine is multiplanar, this means the image is obtained in multiple planes of the body without the patient changing its body position (WHO, 2014). MRI can also be viewed in 3D (Southern Radiology). MRI was originally known as Nuclear Medical Resonance (NMR) (Siemens, , it was designed and used for chemical and physical molecular analysis. The magnetic resonance phenomenon was discovered by Felix Bloch and Edward Purcell, who have worked independently in 1946; their work was rewarded with the Nobel Prize in 1952 (Dr. J. Hornak, n.d). In 1971, scientists were motivated to use magnetic resonance for detection of diseases after discovering the difference in nuclear magnetic relaxation times of tissues and tumors (Dr. J. Hornak, n.d). In 1973, Lauterbur and Mansfield defined the use of magnetic field gradients for spatial localization of NMR signals, laying the foundation for MRI in the future. Two years later, Richard Ernst used Fourier Transform (an algorithm for the analysis of heat transfer between solid bodies) to encode and reconstruct 2D images, which underpins MRI today (Geva, 2006). The MRI works by using hydrogen atoms’ magnetic properties within the human body to produce high quality images. These protons of the hydrogen atoms can be look upon as bar magnets, in normal situations, they will flow inside... ... middle of paper ... ...ng’ Available from: http://www.who.int/diagnostic_imaging/imaging_modalities/dim_magresimaging/en/ [Last accessed 04/05/2014] Wang J., 2010, ‘MRI Limitations and Safety’ Available from: https://wiki.engr.illinois.edu/display/BIOE414/MRI+Limitations+and+Safety [Last accessed 07/05/2014] http://www.michener.ca/ce/postdiploma/ultrasound.php http://www.sonographycanada.ca/Apps/Pages/about-us-7 http://www.healthmatchbc.org/PDFs/Sonography/Sonography-Regulatory-Bodies.aspx http://www.hprac.org/en/projects/resources/DiagnosticSonographyJurisdictionalReview_EN_Final_28062013_Secured.pdf http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ewh-semt/radiation/clini/ultraso/index-eng.php The Advanced Diploma in Sonography was first launched by Nanyang Polytechnic in July 1996 http://www.nyp.edu.sg/nyp/slot/u105/School%20of%20Health%20Sciences/Publish_NYP%20Website%20Info_2013.pdf

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