MRI is a unique medical practice among other imaging methods because, unlike radiographs for example x-rays and ct scans and even radioisotope studies it does not use ionising radiation to create an image of the body this is good because if it does not use ionising radiation it will not have the effects that the radiation causes to the human body. But instead of using other means such as ultrasound to create an image it uses strong magnets and radio waves to create detailed digital images of the human body. The patient lies inside a massive hollowed out magnet and whilst inside the patient is exposed to short ionising bursts of non-ionising radio wave energy and the patient is exposed to these while inside the magnetic field created by sending
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Normally, protons within tissues spin to produce a magnetic. When surrounded by the strong magnetic field of an MRI device, the magnetic axes align along that field. A radio frequency pulse is then applied, causing the axes of many protons to align against the field in a high-energy state. After the pulse, protons relax and resume their baseline alignment within the magnetic field of the MRI device. The magnitude and rate of energy release that occurs as the protons resume this alignment and as they wobble during the process are recorded as spatially localized signal intensities by a coil built within the MRI device. Computer algorithms analyse these signals and produce detailed …show more content…
They are both used in a similar way, to scan the body for broken bones, also to look through the body for tumours or cancerous cells. MRI’s doesn’t produce any harmful ionising radiation during the procedure where as x-rays produce ionising radiation that can cause damage to the human body although only small amounts of radiation are given off there is still is a risk of causing more damage than that there was originally. But the effects that happen to the body are not just limited to radiation damage (birth defects, diseases and can alter the DNA of the patient) but the MRI scanner can also be very dangerous in certain circumstances. People with allergies cannot use these MRI machines because they can be allergic to the contrast dye. It is also not recommended for people who suffer from kidney or liver disorders to uses this method of scanning. MRI and X-rays both cost money to use, however the MRI scanner costs considerably more where as x-rays will only cost between £70-£100, MRI scans can cost up to £4000, they also take a longer time to process; 15 to 20 minutes but X-ray scans can be completed in a few seconds. In summary MRI is more versatile and is used to examine a large variety of conditions. The MRI provides less detailed images of bone compared to X-ray, however the MRI scan provides much more detail when scanning soft tissue. Thus there is a time and place for both methods to be used
Normally, protons within tissues spin to produce a magnetic. When surrounded by the strong magnetic field of an MRI device, the magnetic axes align along that field. A radio frequency pulse is then applied, causing the axes of many protons to align against the field in a high-energy state. After the pulse, protons relax and resume their baseline alignment within the magnetic field of the MRI device. The magnitude and rate of energy release that occurs as the protons resume this alignment and as they wobble during the process are recorded as spatially localized signal intensities by a coil built within the MRI device. Computer algorithms analyse these signals and produce detailed …show more content…
They are both used in a similar way, to scan the body for broken bones, also to look through the body for tumours or cancerous cells. MRI’s doesn’t produce any harmful ionising radiation during the procedure where as x-rays produce ionising radiation that can cause damage to the human body although only small amounts of radiation are given off there is still is a risk of causing more damage than that there was originally. But the effects that happen to the body are not just limited to radiation damage (birth defects, diseases and can alter the DNA of the patient) but the MRI scanner can also be very dangerous in certain circumstances. People with allergies cannot use these MRI machines because they can be allergic to the contrast dye. It is also not recommended for people who suffer from kidney or liver disorders to uses this method of scanning. MRI and X-rays both cost money to use, however the MRI scanner costs considerably more where as x-rays will only cost between £70-£100, MRI scans can cost up to £4000, they also take a longer time to process; 15 to 20 minutes but X-ray scans can be completed in a few seconds. In summary MRI is more versatile and is used to examine a large variety of conditions. The MRI provides less detailed images of bone compared to X-ray, however the MRI scan provides much more detail when scanning soft tissue. Thus there is a time and place for both methods to be used