Colour MRI to help in molecular imaging
MRI, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, which has long been used for the purposes of studying the brain, bones, and other internal organs, can now be used for more advanced images of elusive anatomical structures. The 3-D pictures can now be brightened with different colours thanks to miniature magnetic particles. This might help doctors to learn about the disease states and behavior of tissues. This type of molecular imaging might eventually become a part of personalized medicine, which seems to be the keyword in the health industry these days. The technology has been designed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the particles act like miniature magnets, causing a predictable shift in the frequency of the radio waves and producing colourful images of tissues and organs which are too tiny to be identified. The technology is apparently non invasive but not yet applicable and would take a while before it can be safely used on humans.
Via: TechnologyReview
