MRIs

Anastasiya Moissyeva
Quick History:
It was 1882 when Nicolas Tesla
discovered that magnetic fields can
rotate. This discovery has resulted in
Tesla being the name for the unit of
strength in the magnetic field. Next
came Isidor Isaac Rabi in 1937 and he
understood the nuclear magnetic
phenomena (NMR). This allowed Felix
Bloch and Edward Purcell to actually
make an NMR machine. This machine
Before the MRI came into existence
was still unusable on humans. It was
doctor would have to diagnose problems in
not until 1971 when Raymond
the human body without any investments.
Damadian figured out that healthy cells
This would often lead to more frequent errors
and cancerous cells act differently
and wrong diagnosis resulting in loss of
under the NMR. This is when scientist
human life. So with all this MRIs have clearly
build a new machine and called it the
revoluxine the healthcare system.
MRI machine.
 When It was Invented:

The first MRI was invented in 1971. Which was only around 40 years ago. The first chest scan using
the MRI was done in 1977. This scan lasted 4.5 hours. Today doctors can get a full body MRI in less time.
The chemistry of MRI’s:
And some technology:
MRI
An MRI stands for magnetic resonance imaging. It is a noninvasive medical
device that creates detailed 3D images of organs and tissues found inside our
body. A MRI machine is a cylinder shaped machine that has an opening on either
side. It has help diagnose a variety of conditions such as:

● Anomalies in the brain

● Tumors and cysts
● Heart problems
● Liver diseases
● Breast cancer
● Inflammation or blockages in blood
vessels
● Infections
Alignment of the protons:
The MRI machine creates a powerful magnetic field
inside the human body. This can align atoms/protons inside
the human body. The human body contains water
molecules which consist of hydrogen and oxygen atoms.
When taking images using the MRI machine the hydrogen
nucleus is used “because of its abundance in water and fat”
( BMJ, 2002).

The proteins in the water molecules have a property

called spin. Without the MRI machine, these protons spin
with all there axes randomly aligned under healthy/
“normal” conditions. However, once placed under the MRI Before MRI During MRI
machine the axis of the protons all line up. MRIs have
different strengths when it comes to different fields. Most of
the time it's “between 0.5 and 1.5 tesla”(BMJ 2002).
Different frequencies are used for different part of your
body.
Radiofrequency Pulses (RFP):
Once the protons are aligned, Radiofrequency can be used to influence the protons. If a
hydrogen ion gets struck by a radiopulse then they hydrogen flips 90 degrees. In order for
this flip to occur the frequency of the RF signal should be the same as the resonance
frequency (RF) of the hydrogen atom. The resonance frequency is also known as the rate of
the spin.
Once the pulses are removed the
hydrogen atoms returns to normal.
However if something in the body is
wrong it would generate a different
frequency to what it would normally be.
For example, if the skin tissue was
unhealthy it would generate more
hydrogen atoms making the resonance
After frequency different.
Before
Gradient coils:
There are 3 types of gradient coils the x,y and
z gradient coil. They do not alter the strength of the
magnetic field. However they create a spatial
variations in the magnetic field. This allows for
gradient coils to produce opposite magnetic fields.
One coil increases the magnetic field and another
one decreases it. The magnetic field variation
increases from coil to coil. This will change the
resencence and frequency of hydrogen atoms.
They also will change gradually moving down from
head to toe. accurate signal. By changing the
strength of these coils it helps build the 3D picture
of the human body. These gradient coils are cruel
compensate in a MRI as they are responsible for
making the images more accurate and detailed.
Effects of MRI’s on the Technology
Technology used to form the images:
In order to form the images gradient coils,
magnet technology, radiofrequency, artificial
intelligence, pulse sequence, and computer
algorithms are all needed. Once the picture has
been created with gradient coils. The computer
algorithms will perform operations to rebuild the
detailed image. Then the difference pulse
sequence are chosen depending on the situation.
The T1 is a relaxation used to imaged fatty tissues
while suppressing the signal from water. Or the T2
relaxation enhances the signal from water based
fluids. Then these images are provided to the
computers where medical profential look at them
and discuss the next steps.
The Effects of MRI’s on the Environment
Greenhouse Gases:
Out of all the medical machines used for scanning, the MRI
machine produces the most amount CO2. Per one scan the MRI
machine produces 17.5kg of carbon dioxide. This number is
nearly double that of a CT scan which is 9.2kg per scan. On
Earth our healthcare system is responsible for around 4.4% of
global greenhouse gas emissions each year.

Solutions:
However, solutions are already being implemented before this issues continues
to rise. This fist way is to “reduce the ordering of unnecessary imaging” this can
include ordering x-rays. Another solution, could be to turn or off or have a power
saving mode. This is something people are looking into since currently MRIs are on
24/7. Finally, utilize them effectively so the machine can reduce the amount of time it
spends in standby mode. If these solutions are put into place the greenhouse gas
emissions of MRIs can reduce.
 Electricity: Solutions:
● Power saving mode (when it is not in
MRI machines need power constantly in order to maintain use). This power saving mode is
a powerful magnetic field. Without a high magnetic field the estimated to reduce power consumption
image won't be as clear. However in order to have a high and electricity by “25 to 35 percent”(
Harmony 2023).
magnetic field an MRI needs electricity.
● Eco Power Mode. This is a mode where
In addition to that, MRI’s are never turned off unless there is reduces the amount of energy used i
down for maintenance. This makes them burn through cooling the magnet during power saving
modes. It would only give energy to the
electricity 24/7. Most of the energy that is consumed, in fact
MRI machine when the meganets needs
approximately 60 to 70 percent is used in the refrigeration of
to be cooled of. This method can save
the magnet (Calvert). around 12 % of energy/year.
● AI powered Deep Resort. This can
shorten how long it takes to get the scans
done allowing for less electricity
consumption. This can save 13% of
energy.
With all these methods combined the
electricity use can go down reovlutiononinzeing
health care but at the same time saving and
protecting the environment.
Cooling System (Refrigerant):
In the past people used to pour helium at 1000L at -269 degrees celsius in order to cool
the early MRI machines. This resulted in a lot of helium use but, since helium does last
forever a solution needed to be invented so helium does escape as it cools the MRI. Modern
MRI machine still use helium however, now the helium no longer escapes with the help of
technology. Not only did this save helium but it is also saving energy when cooling MRIs.
Gadolinium waste: Gadolinium waste is associated medical
imaging specifically in MRI. In the past couple
of years gadolinium has becomes a concern
for the environment. This is because once
someone has gone in an MRI machine they
will have gadolinium in there body which will
get eliminated through urine. When the urine
enters the wastewater systems, it is treated in
wastewater treatment but it does not 100%
remove the gadolinium. This water then goes
into bodies of water where aquatic animals
swim in. The gadolinium than accumulates in
the ocean harming organisms in different
ways. Some organisms are sensitive some
have longer term effects such as the health of
organisms decreases and some experience
different behavioral changes.
The Effects of MRI’s in Society
Diagnosis:
MRI’s have revolutionized the healthcare system. They have specifically helped with
finding diagnosis by generating clear images for healthcare professionals to look at. This
technology is extremely accurate and can pick up on missed details because of this MRIs
have contributed to early diagnosis in many patients. This has allowed for medical
professionals to begin treatment plans earlier allowing for a greater chance of positive
outcomes.
An MRI can help look at different parts of your
body in an impressive amount of detail in
comparison to other scans. These parts include the
heart chambers, liver, as well as kidneys. It can
help diagnose fatty liver in the liver, blocked arteries
or irregular heart pumps in the heart as well as
kidney cancer or disease in the kidney. It can
diagnose a lot more in other parts of the body as
well.
Treatment:
The images an MRI machine provides will help doctors and other healthcare providers
determine the treatment plan. This starts with first diagnosing what the problem is. Due to its clear
images it will help the doctors decide if surgery is needed. If it's needed an MRI can help guide and
plan the surgical procedure so it's done in the safest way possible. After the surgery is complete it
can also check to make sure everything is fine inside the body and that no knew complications
have risen. If something is not right an MRI will easily be able to tell if something is abnormal in the
body. In general it can influence the treatment plant and give suggestions and doctores a better
view of what is happening in the body without invasive surgery as the first

In this specific
example the
MRI has shown
that there is a
leisure in the
brain.
Patient experience:
MRI’s gives improves patients care because of its non invasive characteristics. This makes
an MRI have no recovery time and no special care that has to be done after the scan. The
procedure itself is not painful but it can provide some important images. Since, this is
non-invasive it leads to more people feeling comfortable and experience less anxiety when going
to the hospital. In general is prompt a positive experience with the diagnostic journey.
In addition, since technology is
constantly evolving MRI services have
become more accessible and available in
many hospitals. In fact MRI machines have
become one of the key component when
medical professionals are not sure what the
diagnosis is. This allows for faster
treatment options since MRI’s are available
for figuring out what wrong with the
patients.
No Radiation:
An MRI is a great asset to the healthcare industry as well as to humans. A lot of othe medical
experiment such as ct scans and x-rays have radiation. However in MRIs there is no radiation. Too
much access to radiation can be harmful to humans so having a scan with no radiation is beneficial to
society.

They can be used specifically on children and pregnant women considering it has such low
ionizing radiation. MRIs also do not accumulate radiation so this makes them safe to take more than
one time per year. This allows them to be the perfect test for a precautionary screening test to see if you
have something

Safety concerns:
Some risks are involved such as if u accidently bring metal into
the machine it can seriously damage something inside our body due
to its super strong magnetic field. The loud noise it creates could
lead to hearing loss if ear protection is not worn. Since it is a tight
space people who easily get claustrophobic can get have an anxiety
attack.
Effects of MRI’s on the Technology
Future:
MRIs are currently always changing. Engineers are constantly trying to improve them.
The time it takes for MRIs to take pictures is changing rapidly, each year its faster and faster
then the previous year. The quality of the the image is also improving making diagnoses
easier. Even AI is learning to read MRIs and just tell the healthcare provider the diagnosis.
The whole diagnosing stage could soon be replaced by AI. Even though this is a scary reality
MRIs have revolutionized healthcare and will continue to improve the healthcare system.

Diagnosing problems in the human body has

never been easier. From in user friendly, non
invasive properties to being able to take pictures of
the body without doing surgery. Both patients and
medical professionals love this machine. As the
gradient coils and computers get better this
technology will continue to evolve with time. The
future is unknown.
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