Magnetic Spin to Revolutionize Medical Scanning

Is an improvement of 50% impressive? How about 100%? 200%? Well they're looking at 1000%!

A novel method of transferring magnetic spin can amplify the sensitivity of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) a thousandfold, according to new research from the University of York in the United Kingdom. Scientists say the leap could be as revolutionary for medicine as the development of MRI was 30 years ago.

Parahydrogen? Sounds like made up techno-babble!

The new method, published today in the journal Science, enables the magnetization of a broad range of molecules--including drugs such as nicotine, and organic molecules such as antibodies designed to bind to tumors--so that they can be used as contrast agents. Scientists first cool the molecule to create a form of molecular hydrogen, called parahydrogen, which has a highly ordered magnetic spin state. An iridium catalyst transfers the magnetic spin from the parahydrogen to other key elements, including oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon.

Page Modified: (Auto noted: 2011-11-05 02:44:45Z)