WEDNESDAY, June 18 (HealthDay News) -- "Micromagnets" could some
day be injected into the body to add color to MRIs and enhance
sensitivity and the amount of information provided by the images,
according to U.S. researchers.
They said these micromagnets also could act as "smart tags" that
identify specific cells, tissues, or physiological conditions for
medical research or diagnostic purposes.
Currently, chemical solutions are used as image-contrasting
agents in MRIs, which are primarily black and white, the
researchers said.
The researchers at the National Institute of Standards and
Technology and the National Institutes of Health have demonstrated
the proof of principle for this new approach to MRIs. The findings
are published in the June 19 issue of the journal
Nature.
Tweaking the micromagnets' physical shape adjusts the radio
frequency (RF) signals used to create MRI images. The RF signals
are then converted into different colors by computers.
Different sets of micromagnets can be created to produce
different colors. For example, specific sets of magnets could
target different types of cells, such as cancerous versus normal.
The cancerous cells could then be identified by tag color, the
researchers said.
Each micromagnet consists of two round, vertically stacked
magnetic discs a few micrometers in diameter, separated by a small
open gap. Very low concentrations of the magnets in a person's body
would be enough to enhance MRI images, the researchers said.
Further engineering and testing, including clinical trials, must
be done before these micromagnets could be used in patients
undergoing MRI exams.
More information
The International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine has
more about
MRI.
