MRI Script

Physics behind MRI:

MRI or magnetic resonance imaging implements the use of protons, which happen to be of
abundance in the human body. These protons naturally spin, creating a slight magnetic
charge, when a strong magnetic field is introduced, such as in an MRI machine, the protons
align with the magnetic field. The technician operating the MRI machine then introduces a
radio frequency pulse which forces the proton into either a 90° or 180° realignment with the
static magnetic field. Seeing as the magnetic field aligned the proton with itself, once the
radio frequency pulse is turned off, the protons realign with the magnetic field, in turn,
releasing electro-magnetic energy. The MRI is able to detect this energy and is also able to
determine which bodily organ the energy came from based on how quickly the energy was
released after the pulse was switched off.

Description of Application in Medicine:

MRI is used to produce detailed images of various parts of the body such as vital organs, bone
joints and ligaments. And MRI scan differs from a CAT or CT scan and an XRAY scan as MRI
does not use radiation. MRI scans can be used to examine any part of the body including vital
structures, spinal cord, bones and joints, heart and blood vessels, internal organs and even
the brain. MRI can offer a “radiation free” alternative to other forms of scans such as x-ray
and CAT. The results of MRI scans can be used in diagnoses of conditions as well as assess the
potential effectiveness of treatment as well as monitor the effects of current treatment. MRI
is especially useful in detecting soft body tumors.

Benefits and Limitations:

A great benefit of an MRI scan is that an MRI scan that can create a high resolution, high
precision 3d recreation of the bodies organs and tissues. MRI also eliminates the potential
health risks of XRAY and cat scans, due to its non-radiation nature. MRI is also a very non-
invasive procedure, patients are only required to lay in the machine for mostly short periods
of time, but some more intricate procedures may require patients to lie in the machine for
more extended periods of time, normally between 20-90 minutes. MRI also has the benefit
of being able to create and recreate hundreds of images from any direction or angle and can
also cover much larger parts of the body, some machines even being able to scan almost all
of the human body at once.

Some limitations to MRI include the patient having to lay in an enclosed space for extended
periods of time which for some people can cause issues due to fear of enclosed spaces. MRI
also cannot determine between malignant tumors and benign tumors, which in some cases
leads to false diagnosis. Furthermore, MRI cannot be used on patients with metal implants
due to the strong magnetic energy used in the MRI scan.