Module 1: Introduction Flashcards
Outline relevant historical events leading up to the invention of magnetic resonance imaging. Explain the key contributions of Bloch, Purcell, Larmor, Faraday, Lauterbur, and Damadian to the field of MRI. Briefly describe how MRI works, and state its advantages over alternate imaging modalities.
What did Democritus contribute to MRI?
In 400 BC Democrius theorized atoms
What did Hans Christian Oersted contribute to MRI?
i. In 1820, Oersted showed that electric current moving down a wire produces a magnetic field.
ii. This was the origin of electromagnetism!
What did Andre-Marie Ampere contribute to MRI?
i. Expanded on Oersted’s work, showing the relationship between electricity and magnetism (electromagnetism).
ii. Also showed that current in a loop creates a magnetic dipole.
What did Michael Faraday contribute to MRI?
i. Extensively contributed to the field of electromagnetism.
ii. Discovered that if electricity strikes a metal object, it will only pass through the outside of the object. This is the theory that lead to the creation of the Faraday Cage currently used in MRI
iii. Best known for discovering what is now known as Faraday’s Law of Induction: when a magnetic field changes, it induces a voltage.
What did James Maxwell contribute to MRI?
i. In 1873 he published his theory of electromagnetic wave equations, explaining how charges, magnetic fields, and electric fields act.
What did Nikola Tesla contribute to MRI?
i. Perhaps best known for inventing alternating current (AC) power.
ii. Tesla also described x-rays and their biological effects.
iii. The unit of magnetic field strength is named after him.
What did Wilhelm Rontgen contribute to MRI?
i. Discovered x-rays in 1895.
What did Felix Bloch and Edward Purcell contribute to MRI?
i. Awarded the Nobel Prize for NMR in 1952 for developing a new method of nuclear induction, a purely electromagnetic procedure for studying nuclear motion in solids and gases
ii. NMR = nuclear magnetic resonance, the former name for MRI.
What did Sir Joseph Larmor contribute to MRI?
i. Developed the Larmor equation for determining the angular frequency of precession of atoms.
What did Sir Peter Mansfield contribute to MRI?
i. Developed a mathematical technique allowing NMR scans to be done in seconds rather than hours, while yielding clearly images.
ii. Received the 2003 Nobel Prize with Paul Lauterbur for developing MRI.
What did Paul Lauterbur contribute to MRI?
i. Received the 2003 Nobel Prize with Peter Mansfield for developing MRI.
ii. Also developed the concept of tri-plane gradients for slice selection.
What did Raymond Damadian contribute to MRI?
i. Also credited as being an inventor of MRI, he built the first MRI machine called “Indomitable” (currently in the Smithsonian).
ii. He also founded the first company to manufacture MRI machines, called FONAR company
