The ever changing world of technology usually brings about something new and exciting. In the world of diagnostic imaging, there’s something new and exciting every day. Higher standards in education, performance, and equipment technology are constantly being pushed. An exciting development coming from the technology end is the advent of the NanoscaleMRI. The Atomic Scale MRI could well be the next landmark development since the first MRI was first developed in 1977. Magnetic Resonance Imaging by Atomic Force Microscopy (MRI-AFM) is a promising new technique to resolve the internal atomic structure of biological nanostructures.
According to various reports, this particular technology would allow physicians to look beyond organs and into more detailed regions. The Nanoscale MRI could allow the examination of a cell or a strand of DNA. The Nanoscale MRI reportedly has a resolution up to 10,000 times better than a standard MRI. In order to create this technology, the defects in diamonds are used. According to one report, when light is directed at the defects in the diamond they pick up the magnetic properties of nearby atoms in a cell.
The idea that this technology will pick up steam is exciting in the sense that it actually goes deeper than diagnosing and treating conditions and injuries. This is the type of technology that could give physicians and scientists the opportunity to better understand certain conditions and the human body as a whole. Another great possibility could be understanding more complex conditions and their genetically coded mysteries. Perhaps this MRI will not help find a cure for these conditions but it would certainly go a long way in attempting to do so.
The human body is still a mystery that’s hard for us to unravel. With something like the Nanoscale MRI, we are looking at a possible revolution in the world of science as a whole. This type of development could also encourage landmark developments in CT technology as well as X-Rays, among other existing technologies. Only time will tell how this development will enrich the science and technology of diagnostic imaging, yielding an ultimate result for the patient.
Posted by:
Nathan Welch
MRI & CT Specialist
407.438.7847
Nathan@amberusa.com.
References:
http://nanomri.wordpress.com/2012/01/31/mri-afm-an-mri-scanner-for-nanoscale-samples/
http://www.newschannel5.com/story/22155393/nanoscale-mri-medicines-next-big-thing
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/health&id=9074545
