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First Image Taken With an Ultra Low Field MRI
KentuckyFC writes "MRI machines are about to get smaller, much smaller. Most of their bulk is taken up by the huge superconducting magnets required to generate fields of a few Teslas. Now a team at the Los Alamos National Lab in New Mexico has built a machine that can produce images using a field of only a few microTesla (PDF, abstract here). So giant superconducting magnets aren't necessary, a development that has the potential to make MRI machines much smaller, perhaps even suitcase-sized. The one-page paper shows sections of the first 3D brain image taken with the device."
Smaller is nice, but what really needs to be done is to make them cheaper to purchase and operate. That way, even the local small hospitals can, hopefully, afford one. When you're sick and living out in the country, having to drive a hundred miles to the nearest machine can be quite a chore.
I prefer Flambe as apposed flamebait.
For some reason I find that your comment suits your screen name just fine...
Of course I understand completely that people don't have to justify their phobias, but you have to admit that you must have caused quite a few shaken heads, raised eyebrows, and sighs of exasperation on behalf of the medical staff. Especially considering that because of their scarcity such machines usually have a line of people waiting for them.
Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
Well you could always go back to the 19th century and avoid hospitals if you don't like modern medical advances (which are quite expensive).
Why not use a cloth eye cover?
I'd assume those shaking heads were muttering "geez, another one" rather than "omg wtf how can someone be afraid of it". Claustrophobia isn't all that unheard of, and being shoved into a friggin pipe is somewhat a powerful trigger.
If it were easy (or even moderately hard) to control a phobia, I suspect most people would. Justification is irrelevant. It matters only that the fear exists. Conquering a phobia typically requires exposure (with neutral or rewarding consequences) to the fear-provoking stimulus. In his case, gradual exposure to being in the tube.
I realize that many people find it difficult to understand the lack of control inherent in a phobia. I (with my injection phobia) am often told (by medical professionals) simply to get over it. Unfortunately, when a needle is present, I descend into blind animal panic. My rational mind ceases to function. The thoughts of controlling and pushing through the fear don't even occur to me. It is a pure flight-or-fight response, and I have done both.
Additionally, the guilt of having wasted time (of the doctors or other patients) needlessly adds to the unpleasantness of the situation. His attempts to undergo the procedure are, in my opinion, courageous.
People need help, not guilt or reprimands.
Reality is fluffy!
Like other medical imaging technologies such as ultrasound, the images are medically pretty much worthless without a qualified operator to read them.
For ultrasound systems, a far cheaper technology, the cheapest systems seem to be around $10,000. And while I could see the geek appeal of messing around with ultrasounding various animate and inanimate objects, I am sure that if the price should reach sub-1000's, it would quickly become another weapon in the arsenal of hypochondriacs and hysteric pregnant women. Much of the same goes for MRIs.
In a fair world, refrigerators would make electricity.
Or you could have a sensible health care system where the rich can have giant breasts and the poor don't die from common and curable things.
You know, just a thought.
I like muppets.
I was recently charged $3000 for a CT scan. Talking to an Indian coworker, I found out that a CT scan in his country would've cost less than $50. So I guess I could've flown out to India, gotten the CT, and flown back, for less money than getting the CT in America.
It's a good thing I did get that expensive modern medical advance in America, though, because of the high-quality analysis and follow-up I got from the clinic. In total, I got one sentence out of it- "Your intestines are a little constricted." I don't think they could provide that kind of advanced analysis in India with their cheap CT scans.
I guess I'm wondering- are modern medical advances really as expensive as we're led to believe they are in America?
It's indeed scary to be in that pipe. Not only is it very narrow and you can't get out yourself, but the machine makes very loud noises when in operation. Being inside a working MRI machine is not a fun experience.
-- Cheers!
Or you could have a sensible health care system where the rich can have giant breasts and the poor don't die from common and curable things.
When you can figure out how to do that without holding a gun to my head to force me to pay for it, I'll back you 100%.
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