Two new techniques using different approaches to see molecular changes inside people’s bodies can potentially lead to faster and more detailed imaging scans.
Both magnetic resonance imaging technologies rely on manipulating the spin of molecules to provide more detailed scans that one day could rapidly do things like analyze how well a drug is working or tell how fast tumors are growing at the molecular level. The technique could replace current imaging technologies that depend on the use of radioactive substances or heavy metals.”
The research team based their technique on manipulating parahydrogen by transferring its magnetism to more easily detected molecules. This could potentially translated to increase scan sensitivity by 1000 times. This technique creates large imbalances among the populations spin states and makes the molecules into more powerful magnets. This in turn leads to more detailed images.
Adapted from materials provided by NewsDaily and Reuters.