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First Image Taken With an Ultra Low Field MRI

Posted by kdawson on from the swimming-with-the-squids dept.

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."

6 of 189 comments (clear)

  1. I never thought I'd see this... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    But is this first post?

  2. We have determined that your brain configuration by gl12 · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    predisposes you to rebellion, expectation of civil rights and/or revolutionary ideals. Please report to a "freedom center" nearest you immediately. Have a good day and God bless.

  3. Suitcase-sized? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    I wonder how far GW got to his bunker before ATT read the rest of the post.

  4. Music habits survey by ryanwtaylor · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    We are a group of serious music lovers and graduate students trying to study people's music listening habits. This survey is completely anonymous and asks for NO PERSONAL INFORMATION. Please take a moment to complete the quick survey and help some grad students complete their research paper. Thanks! http://www.zoomerang.com/survey.zgi?p=WEB2275G2QJ5BZ

  5. Re:I hope they do away with the tunnels by pair-a-noyd · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    My experience in those machines had nothing to do with paranoia.
    It was 100% to do with claustrophobia .
    Before I went in for the scans I had no idea I had claustrophobia.
    Being stuffed into the machines caused me extreme panic attacks to the point I thought I was going to die.
    After they pulled me out I couldn't breath and thought I was going to have a heart attack because my heart was racing wild.

    And you know what, I don't give a shit what anyone else thought about my problem with those machines.
    And for your information, I PAID CASH for those scans. There was no insurance or socialized anything involved.
    I PAID CASH for everything.
    And there's no scarcity of those machines. There's dozens of them in this area, including several in STRIP MALLS..
    Yes, in a STRIP MALL right next to a Verizon cell phone store and two doors down from a Chinese resteraunt.
    And where I ended up going to for the scan I was doped up, there's probably 100 MRI machines there, in a city of 4 million..

    Get your facts straight before you go pointing fingers and calling names.

  6. I think this image is more relevant.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    I think that this image probably works better.