Handheld MRI
From
MedGaget:
BBC News reports that a portable MRI, even a handheld one, might one day be possible:
...conventional MRI scanners need to use big magnets that have to be chilled by complicated cooling systems, which is expensive.
Igor Savukov and Michael Romalis have shown that a device called an atomic magnetometer can detect magnetic signals from water without giant magnets or complicated cooling systems.
And more from
the BBC article:
Eventually it should be possible to do away with the shielding and build a hand-held MRI machine that images tissues inside the body as easily as a digital camera takes a photo, they told New Scientist.
Professor Peter Morris from Nottingham University's MRI centre said: "It's interesting, but it's a long way to go before it becomes a viable imaging system.
The technology is
talked about here (with pictures)
Very cool stuff!
Posted by DaveH at April 7, 2005 11:48 AM