Latest MRI Machines, Less Claustrophobic

Friday, March 5, 2010, 11:44

The latest in the medical technology is the new MRI design that promises to improve scanning and is also a lot less claustrophic.

The simple change involves the MRI machines to be able to provide better coverage at higher powers while also leaving more room for the patient. The traditional MRI scans involve the patients to be placed closer to the radio frequency coils that send out magnetic waves in the scanning tube that may result in claustrophobic affect on the patient.

The latest technique involves an antenna instead of the coil that was placed 9.8 feet away from the body of the patient. This new study was carried out by David Brunner, a physicist at the University of Zurich. The new antenna transmits and receives radio waves, that are focused by a special conductive lining inside the MRI scanning tube.

The extra room "will usually be on the order of 15-20 centimetres [6-8 inches] in diameter, which really is a lot in terms of patient comfort," National Geographic quoted study co-author Klaas Pruessmann, as saying.

The travelling waves from the antenna would ensure uniform coverage of large body parts and also offer deeper insights. Pruessmann said that the technology "is currently being explored in centres around the world, including many in the U.S., and early pre-clinical applications look very promising."

Peter Bornert, principal scientist at Philips Research Europe in Hamburg, Germany, called the new approach "very promising from a scientific point of view." AGENCIES