Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging is no stranger to petroleum people. Before its application in the medical field, the petroleum industry introduced this technology, including nuclear magnetic well logging, nuclear magnetic resonance imaging core, NMR magnetometers are widely used in the petroleum industry. Even in petroleum hospitals, there are NMR instruments for human body testing. The author has undergone MRI of the brain. The basic principle of nuclear magnetic resonance imaging is to place the object to be detected in a uniform strong magnetic field, and use radio frequency pulses to excite the hydrogen nuclei in the object, causing the hydrogen nuclei to vibrate and absorb energy. After turning off the radio frequency pulse, Afterwards, the hydrogen atom nucleus emits a radio signal according to its unique frequency and releases the absorbed energy, which is collected by the receiver and processed by a computer to obtain a three-dimensional image.
Magnetic resonance imaging was invented by the American scientist Lauterbull in the early 1970s when he was a professor in the Department of Chemistry and Radioactivity at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. Lauterbull added an uneven magnetic lift to the main magnetic field, that is, introduced a gradient magnetic field and used radio waves to induce hydrogen atom nuclear vibrations in the crystal material, and finally obtained a two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance image, which was later promoted and applied. to the fields of biochemistry and biophysics; British scientist Mansfield took the lead in applying MRI to clinical practice in 1976 and took the first human MRI photo.
In 1982, the United States began to officially use MRI in clinical medicine, and it has gradually become a non-destructive, advanced and rapid medical diagnostic method. It has two major advantages: first, there is no radiation harmful to the human body. The so-called nucleus only induces hydrogen nuclei in the human body, and the human body is in a magnetic field and will not be harmed in any way; second, it can diagnose lesions early, because nuclear magnetic* The ** vibration phenomenon identifies human tissue by detecting chemical changes in the human body. X-ray and X-CT imaging technology identifies human tissue through physical (morphological) changes in the human body. Morphological changes indicate that the disease has developed to a certain extent. Because of this, MRI cares about lives and saves many patients, benefiting mankind, and it is natural to win the award. Currently, there are about 22,000 MRI machines used in clinical human testing around the world, and about 60 million people undergo nuclear technology tests every year. MRI has laid a foundation for the diagnosis and corresponding treatment of early lesions. He has made great contributions and won praise from the world.
Medal
The phenomenon of nuclear magnetic resonance was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics as early as 1952. The petroleum industry introduced nuclear magnetic resonance technology in the 1970s. Use nuclear magnetic logging imaging in the well to describe the static and dynamic state of oil, gas and water in the reservoir, contributing to efficient exploration and development of oil and gas reservoirs; using nuclear magnetic resonance magnetometer, you can directly find oil and gas reservoirs and traps in oil and gas exploration The area of ??the oil and gas field determines the interface between oil, gas and water, and provides reliable oil and gas reserves; in the laboratory, nuclear magnetic resonance imaging can be used to describe the distribution in the core, and provide suggestions for oil and gas exploration to improve oil and gas recovery... Etc., it shows the wide range of application fields of nuclear magnetic resonance imaging, and it also shows that the petroleum industry is a palace of absorbing advanced technology and excellent scientific research achievements of mankind. Of course, compared with the application results of MRI in physiology/medicine, the petroleum industry still has potential to be tapped in the application of this technology, and there are also issues that require innovation in application. From the Nobel Prize won for nuclear magnetic resonance imaging, we know that the contribution of applied technology cannot be underestimated. From the perspective of efficiency, it is no less than theoretical innovation; from the fact that two physics scientists, Lauterbull and Mansfield, actually Being able to win the Nobel Prize in Physiology/Medicine shows that a layman's "stuck success" means invention and innovation. Today, when the intersection of fringe sciences is flourishing, it is not uncommon for the intersection of fringe disciplines to yield fruitful results. Imaging human internal organs with accurate and non-invasive methods is very important for medical diagnosis, treatment, and tracking feedback. This year's Nobel Prize winner in medicine and physiology made groundbreaking inventions in the use of magnetic resonance imaging to image different structures. These inventions led to the development of modern magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which represents a breakthrough in medical diagnosis and research.
Atomic nuclei rotate in a strong magnetic field at a frequency determined by the strength of the magnetic field. If they absorb electromagnetic waves of the same frequency, the energy will increase (*** vibration). When the atomic nucleus returns to its original energy level, it emits electromagnetic waves. These discoveries were awarded the 1952 Nobel Prize in Physics. In the following decades, magnetic resonance imaging was mainly used to study the chemical structure of substances. In the early 1970s, this year's Nobel Prize winner made pioneering contributions that led to the future application of magnetic resonance imaging in medical imaging.
Magnetic resonance imaging, MRI, is now a routine method in medical diagnosis. With more than 60 million MRI tests performed worldwide each year, this approach is still rapidly evolving. MRI is often superior to other imaging techniques and has significantly improved the diagnosis of many diseases. MRI has eliminated several invasive procedures, thereby reducing risk and inconvenience for many patients.
Hydrogen Nucleus
Water constitutes two-thirds of the human body's mass. Such a high water content explains why magnetic resonance imaging has been widely used in medicine. The amount of water in various tissues and organs varies. In many diseases, pathological processes lead to changes in water content, which are reflected in magnetic resonance imaging.
Water molecules are composed of hydrogen and oxygen atoms. The hydrogen nucleus functions as a subtle compass. When the human body is placed in a strong magnetic field, the hydrogen nuclei will be arranged in an orderly manner - just like "standing at attention" in military training. When an electromagnetic wave pulse is injected, the energy distribution of atomic nuclei changes. After the pulse, the nuclei emit oscillation waves and return to their previous state.
Small differences in the vibrations of atomic nuclei will be detected. Through advanced computer processing, a three-dimensional image can be constructed that reflects the chemical structure of the tissue, including differences in water content and movement of water molecules. This produces a highly detailed image of the tissues and organs in the area of ??the human body being examined. This method can record pathological changes. This year's Nobel Prize in Medicine or Physiology is awarded for contributions that have been crucial in the development of applications of medical importance. In the early 1970s, they made pioneering inventions to develop imaging techniques for different structures. These discoveries laid the foundation for developing magnetic resonance imaging into a useful imaging method.
Paul Lauterbull discovered that the introduction of magnetic field gradients made it possible to image two-dimensional structures that could not be achieved by other methods. In 1973, he described how adding gradient magnetic fields to the main magnetic field made it possible to image cross-sections of pipes showing ordinary water surrounded by heavy water. No other imaging method can distinguish between ordinary water and heavy water.
In order to more accurately show the differences in vibrations, Peter Mansfield used magnetic field gradients. He illustrates how the detected signals are quickly and efficiently analyzed and converted into images. This is a critical step in getting a practical approach. Mansfield also showed how extremely fast imaging could be achieved by very fast gradient changes (echo plane scans). This technology became useful in clinical practice 10 years later. The medical uses of MRI have grown rapidly. The first MRI health equipment was used in the early 1980s. In 2002, there were approximately 22,000 MRI cameras worldwide, performing more than 60 million MRI tests.
The great advantage of MRI is that, as far as is known, it is harmless. This method does not use ionizing radiation, in contrast to ordinary X-ray (Nobel Prize in Physics 1901) or computed tomography (Nobel Prize in Medicine and Physiology 1979) detection. However, patients with magnetic metal in their bodies or with pacemakers cannot be detected by MRI due to strong magnetic fields, and patients with claustrophobia may have difficulty using MRI. Today, MRI is used to examine nearly all human organs. This technology is particularly valuable for detailed imaging of the brain and spinal cord. Almost all brain disorders cause changes in water volume that are reflected on MRI images. A difference in water volume of less than 1 is sufficient to detect pathological changes. In multiple sclerosis, MRI detection is very good for disease diagnosis and tracking feedback. Symptoms associated with multiple sclerosis are caused by localized inflammation of the brain and spinal cord.
With MRI, the location, intensity and effectiveness of inflammation in the nervous system can be determined.
Another example is long-term low back pain that is both painful to the patient and costly to society. In this case, it is important to be able to differentiate between muscle pain and pain caused by pressure on the nerves and spinal cord. MRI has replaced methods that were previously annoying to patients. With MRI, it will be clear whether the disc herniation is squeezing the nerves, and whether surgery is needed can be determined. Since MRI gives detailed three-dimensional images, people can get exact information about the location of the injury. Such information is important before surgery. For example, in some microsurgical brain surgeries, surgeons can operate under the guidance of MRI images. The images are fine enough to allow the placement of electrodes in the brain's central core to treat severe pain or movement disorders in Parkinson's disease.
MRI detection is very important for cancer diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up feedback. The images can accurately reveal tumor boundaries, which facilitates more precise surgical and radiation treatments. Before surgery, it is important to know whether the tumor has penetrated into surrounding tissue. MRI can differentiate between tissues more precisely than other methods, thus contributing to improved surgical procedures.
MRI can also improve the accuracy of determining tumor stage, which is important in selecting treatment methods. For example, MRI can determine how deeply colon cancer has penetrated into the tissue and whether the lymph nodes there have become infected. MRI can replace previous invasive tests, thereby alleviating pain for many patients. An example is the examination of the pancreas and bile ducts using an endoscope infused with contrast media. This leads to serious complications in some cases. Today, MRI can get the corresponding information.
Diagnostic arthroscopic examinations (which use optical devices inserted into joints) can be replaced by MRI. MRI can complete detailed examination of the articular cartilage and cruciate ligaments in the knee. Due to the non-invasive nature of MRI, the risk of infection is eliminated.