User:Bci2/2D-FT NMRI and Spectroscopy
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
2D-FT Nuclear Magnetic resonance imaging (2D-FT NMRI), or Two-dimensional Fourier transform magnetic resonance imaging (NMRI), is primarily a non--invasive imaging technique most commonly used in biomedical research and medical radiology/nuclear medicine/MRI to visualize structures and functions of the living systems and single cells. For example it can provides fairly detailed images of a human body in any selected cross-sectional plane, such as longitudinal, transversal, sagital, etc. NMRI provides much greater contrast especially for the different soft tissues of the body than computed tomography (CT) as its most sensitive option observes the nuclear spin distribution and dynamics of highly mobile molecules that contain the naturally abundant, stable hydrogen isotope 1H as in plasma water molecules, blood, disolved metabolites and fats. This approach makes it most useful in cardiovascular, oncological (cancer), neurological (brain), musculoskeletal, and cartilage imaging. Unlike CT, it uses no ionizing radiation, and also unlike nuclear imaging it does not employ any radioactive isotopes. Some of the first MRI images reported were published in 1973[1] and the first study performed on a human took place on July 3, 1977.[2] Earlier papers were also published by Peter Mansfield[3] in UK (Nobel Laureate in 2003), and R. Damadian in the USA, (together with an approved patent for magnetic imaging). Unpublished `high-resolution' (50 micron resolution) images of other living systems, such as hydrated wheat grains, were obtained and communicated in UK in 1977-1979, and were subsequently confirmed by articles published in Nature.