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APPLICATIONS OF MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING

INTRODUCTION
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), also known as nuclear magnetic resonance imaging is a
non-invasive imaging technology that produces three dimensional detailed anatomical
images. It is often used for disease detection, diagnosis, and treatment monitoring. It is based
on sophisticated technology that excites and detects the change in the direction of the
rotational axis of protons found in the water that makes up living tissues .Magnetic resonance
imaging (MRI) is a test that uses powerful magnets, radio waves, and a computer to make
detailed pictures inside your body. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a type of scan that
uses strong magnetic fields and radio waves to produce detailed images of the inside of the
body. MRI is a scanning technique for creating detailed images of the human body.

MRI was originally called NMRI (nuclear magnetic resonance imaging), but "nuclear" was
dropped to avoid negative associations. Certain atomic nuclei are able to absorb and emit
radio frequency energy when placed in an external magnetic field.Since its development in
the 1970s and 1980s, MRI has proven to be a versatile imaging technique. While MRI is most
prominently used in diagnostic
medicine and biomedical research, it
also may be used to form images of
non-living objects. MRI scans are
capable of producing a variety of
chemical and physical data, in
addition to detailed spatial images.
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The sustained increase in demand for MRI within health systems has led to concerns about
cost effectiveness and overdiagnosis. The scan uses a strong magnetic field and radio waves
to generate images of parts of the body that can't be seen as well with X-rays, CT scans or
ultrasound. MRIs employ powerful magnets which produce a strong magnetic field that
forces protons in the body to align with that field. When a radiofrequency current is then
pulsed through the patient, the protons are stimulated, and spin out of equilibrium, straining
against the pull of the magnetic field. When the radiofrequency field is turned off, the MRI
sensors are able to detect the energy released as the protons realign with the magnetic field.
The time it takes for the protons to realign with the magnetic field, as well as the amount of
energy released, changes depending on the environment and the chemical nature of the
molecules. Physicians are able to tell the difference between various types of tissues based on
these magnetic properties. . MRI does not involve X-rays or the use of ionizing radiation,
which distinguishes it from CT or CAT scans and PET scans. Magnetic resonance imaging is
a medical application of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). MRI is in general a safe
technique, although injuries may occur as a result of failed safety procedures or human error.

APPLICATION OF MRI
The development of the MRI scan represents a huge milestone for the medical world.
Doctors, scientists, and researchers are now able to examine the inside of the human body in
high detail using a non-invasive tool. The use of MR imaging as a diagnostic technique
continues to grow, allowing the study of more and more body parts. Initially, MR was mainly
used to image the brain and spinal column, and each exam could last up to an hour. However,
MR scanners can now image a host of additional body parts including injuries of the joints
(such as the shoulder, knee, elbow, and wrist), the blood vessels (for instance, carotid arteries,
renal arteries, peripheral leg arteries), the breast, as well as abdominal and pelvic organs like
the liver or male and female reproductive anatomy. MR examinations have also become
much faster, in some cases rivaling the speed of spiral CT. Following are examples in which
an MRI scanner would be used:

 Anomalies of the brain and spinal cord

 Tumors, cysts, and other anomalies in various parts of the body
 Breast cancer screening for women who face a high risk of breast cancer
 Injuries or abnormalities of the joints, such as the back and knee
 Certain types of heart problems
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 Diseases of the liver and other abdominal organs

 The evaluation of pelvic pain in women, with causes including fibroids and
endometriosis
 Suspected uterine anomalies in women undergoing evaluation for infertility
 Inflammation or infection in an organ
 Degenerative diseases
 Strokes
 Musculoskeletal disorders
 Tumors
 Other irregularities that exist in tissue or organs in their body
 Clinical neurology
 Segmentation and classification
 Measuring volumes of brain structures
 Multiple sclerosis, neurodegeneracy, stroke.
 Cardiology –Either need to image fast, or deal with heart motion
 Cancer –Breast, colorectal, liver, prostate.
 Soft tissue damage –Cartilage, ligaments.
 MRI is also used a great deal in basic science to study brain function and cancer
growth

Some detail of MRI application are꞉

Usage by organ or system

MRI has a wide range of applications in medical diagnosis and more than 25,000 scanners are
estimated to be in use worldwide. MRI affects diagnosis and treatment in many specialties
although the effect on improved health outcomes is uncertain. MRI is the investigation of
choice in the preoperative staging of rectal and prostate cancer and, has a role in the
diagnosis, staging, and follow-up of other tumors.

Neuroimaging
MRI is the investigative tool of choice for neurological cancers over CT, as it offers better
visualization of the posterior cranial fossa, containing the brainstem and the cerebellum. The
contrast provided between grey and white matter makes MRI the best choice for many
conditions of the central nervous system, including demyelinating diseases, dementia,
cerebrovascular disease, infectious diseases, Alzheimer's disease and epilepsy. Since many
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images are taken milliseconds apart, it shows how the brain responds to different stimuli,
enabling researchers to study both the functional and structural brain abnormalities in
psychological disorders.

Cardiovascular
Cardiac MRI is complementary to other imaging techniques, such as echocardiography,
cardiac CT, and nuclear medicine. Its applications include assessment of myocardial ischemia
and viability, cardiomyopathies, myocarditis, iron overload, vascular diseases, and congenital
heart disease.

Musculoskeletal
Applications in the musculoskeletal system include spinal imaging, assessment of joint
disease, and soft tissue tumors.

Liver and gastrointestinal

Hepatobiliary MR is used to detect and characterize lesions of the liver, pancreas, and bile
ducts. Focal or diffuse disorders of the liver may be evaluated using diffusion-weighted,
opposed-phase imaging, and dynamic contrast enhancement sequences. Extracellular contrast
agents are used widely in liver MRI and newer hepatobiliary contrast agents also provide the
opportunity to perform functional biliary imaging..

Angiography
Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) generates pictures of the arteries to evaluate them
for stenosis (abnormal narrowing) or aneurysms (vessel wall dilatations, at risk of rupture).
MRA is often used to evaluate the arteries of the neck and brain, the thoracic and abdominal
aorta, the renal arteries, and the legs. Techniques involving phase accumulation known as
phase contrast angiography can also be used to generate flow velocity maps easily and
accurately. Magnetic resonance venography (MRV) is a similar procedure that is used to
image veins. In this method, the tissue is now excited inferiorly, while the signal is gathered
in the plane immediately superior to the excitation plane, thus imaging the venous blood that
recently moved from the excited plane.

Contrast agents
MRI for imaging anatomical structures or blood flow do not require contrast agents as the
varying properties of the tissues or blood provide natural contrasts. However, for more
specific types of imaging, exogenous contrast agents may be given intravenously, orally, or
intra-articularly.
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CONCLUSION
It is concluded that magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a medical imaging technique. MRI
has proven to be a versatile imaging technique. MRI scanners use strong magnetic fields,
magnetic field gradients, and radio waves to generate images of the organs in the body. While
MRI is most prominently used in diagnostic medicine and biomedical research, it also may be
used to form images of non-living objects. MRI scans are capable of producing a variety of
chemical and physical data, in addition to detailed spatial images. The sustained increase in
demand for MRI within health systems has led to concerns about cost effectiveness and over
diagnosis.

REFERENCES
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetic_resonance_imaging#Angiography
 https://eu.mouser.com/applications/medical-application-mri/
 http://www.robots.ox.ac.uk/~jmb/lectures/medimanallecture2.pdf
 https://www.imaginis.com/mri-scan/applications-and-clinical-benefits-of-mr-imaging
 http://web2.uwindsor.ca/courses/physics/high_schools/2006/Medical_Imaging/mriapp
lication.html
 https://www.medicinenet.com/mri_scan/article.htm#what_are_the_uses_for_an_mri