MRI scanning uses magnets, electromagnetic pulses, and computer software to produce high-resolution images of the body’s soft tissues. Hydrogen atoms align with a magnetic field, and radio pulses target still random atoms to create the image. A contrast agent colors different tissues, and the information can be transformed into a 2D or 3D image. Patients must remain still during the noisy procedure.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanning is an advanced medical technique used to produce high-resolution images of the inside of the body. Unlike an X-ray, an MRI image can show the soft tissues of the body while still having the flexibility to examine very small areas of the body from a wide variety of angles. MRI scanning works through the combination of huge magnets, carefully targeted electromagnetic pulses, and computer software that transforms raw data into finished images. Many medical experts credit MRI with revolutionizing the diagnostic field of medicine.
It may not seem like it, but each person is made up of billions of atoms, all working hard to create and maintain the physical body. Humans are mostly composed of water, which itself is made up of a combination of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom. Hydrogen atoms, of which the body has many, rotate randomly under normal circumstances. When subjected to a tuned magnet, however, most of the hydrogen atoms will stop their random meanders and point to the same location, aligning with the direction of the magnetic field. The first step of the MRI scan is to create a magnetic field that aligns the hydrogen atoms, usually pointing half towards the feet and half towards the head.
MRI is based on the fact that very few hydrogen atoms will refuse to align with their billions of atomic siblings. These few continue to spin randomly after the magnetic field is applied, making them stand out from the pack. Using a radio frequency pulse, the MRI machine targets still random atoms, which absorb the pulse’s energy and spin in a different direction. A series of smaller magnets in the machine, known as gradients, come to life during this process, pinpointing the machine’s efforts to the specific part of the body that needs to be examined.
The final step in the MRI scan is creating the image. After the gradients focus on the slice of the body that needs attention, the radio pulses are cut off, allowing the atoms to expel the energy they’ve absorbed and return to their original positions. The machine measures several variables of their rate of return to original equilibrium, and it is these measurements that provide the raw data to create the final image.
The final image is a product of computer wizardry and medical technology. Patients are often injected with a contrast agent that colors different types of tissue in different shades so that the contrasts show up on the image created. Depending on the computer system used, the information gathered from the MRI scan can be transformed into a two- or three-dimensional image, which illuminates tissue distinctions thanks to the contrast agent.
While MRI scanning is considered to be a very safe procedure that often produces excellent results, there are some drawbacks to the process. First, the scan requires the patient to be perfectly still, otherwise the image will be disrupted. While this may not seem like a large requirement, it is often made more difficult by the fact that the machine is very noisy and places the patient in a small, enclosed space. People uncomfortable with confined spaces may want to ask doctors about possible options to ease the process.
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