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IBM Creates MRI With 100M Times the Resolution

Posted by kdawson on from the little-tiny-hairs dept.

An anonymous reader writes "IBM Research scientists, in collaboration with the Center for Probing the Nanoscale at Stanford University, have demonstrated magnetic resonance imaging with volume resolution 100 million times finer than conventional MRI. This result, published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, signals a significant step forward in tools for molecular biology and nanotechnology by offering the ability to study complex 3D structures at the nanoscale."

5 of 161 comments (clear)

  1. This is great to see by Zouden · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Now if only HP and AT&T would bring back their R&D departments we might see more companies doing basic research like this.

    --
    "A week in the lab saves an hour in the library"
  2. Re:Transporter? by zippthorne · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Indeed. A transporter that works like the visible man.

    Step 1: die. (not strictly necessary, but makes the remaining steps more pleasant.)
    Step 2: freeze body in great big ice cube. agitate and freeze rapidly to avoid bubbles and crystals.
    step 3: put ice block on giant deli slicer. Use "1 cell thick" setting.
    step 4: further divide ice slice into pieces small enough to use with the MRI device. Carefully label the position of each piece.
    step 5: painstakingly scan each piece and store in appropriate database.
    step 6: repeat steps 3 through 5 over the next several months until no slices remain.
    step 7: ?
    step 8: arrive at destination, nearly perfectly reconstructed and only a little bit dead (just your brains. and organs)

    --
    Can you be Even More Awesome?!
  3. Re:Transporter? by jackchance · · Score: 3, Insightful
    It isn't clear whether the quantum uncertainty of the particles is relevant for reconstructing a biological organism.

    It's true that the precise location of individual ions would be slightly misplaced. However, as long as the wiring of neurons was accurately recreated it might work.

    So while the 'recreated' organism would not be 'exactly' the same as the scanned organism, it might be good enough.

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  4. not a valid comparison by Viking+Coder · · Score: 5, Insightful

    kebes already pretty much said it, and as I said (under a different name) on Digg,

    Saying "100 million times stronger than MRI" is a deceptive way to describe this. The normal usage of MRI that the public is familiar with is to scan your body, or parts of your body. This new technology would work on a "sample," for instance a biopsy. If the new technology operated at the same scale - your whole body - and was at 100 million times finer resolution - then that would be astounding.

    But this is a competitor for other microscopes - not MRI.

    --
    Education is the silver bullet.
  5. Re:High levels of radiation by Ethanol-fueled · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Or maybe it's their professional trolling debut!