World's Most Powerful MRI Scans 1st Images Of Human Brain (Image: cea.fr)
Medical technologies are in the process of continuous development. Amid this, the world”s most powerful MRI scanner has delivered its first images of human brains. This significant development is expected to shed more light on our mysterious minds and the illnesses that haunt them.
Researchers at France”s Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) first used the Iseult MRI machine in 2021 to scan a pumpkin. Authorities later gave the researchers the green light to scan humans. According to an AFP report, the MRI machine is located in the Plateau de Saclay area south of Paris. Notably, this location is home to many technology companies and universities.
Axial view of the human brain, with the same acquisition time but different magnetic field strengths. © CEA
CEA says that this success is the fruit of more than 20 years of research and development as part of the Iseult project, with one pillar goal being to design and develop the world’s most powerful MRI machine. CEA also said that it took only about four minutes to acquire the remarkable anatomical images of the brain from participants in the first study involving the Iseult MRI machine.
Alexandre Vignaud, a physicist working on the project, said that they have seen a level of precision never reached before at CEA. The machine, with its 11.7 teslas magnetic field strength, is capable of scanning images with 10 times more precision than the MRIs commonly used in hospitals. It is worth mentioning that the power of normal machines does not normally exceed three teslas.
11.7 teslas (T) of magnetic field (vs 1.5 and 3 T for conventional MRI machines in hospitals) © CEA
Meanwhile, the level of detail achieved with the Iseult MRI machine is likely to have a big impact on medical research. Countries, including South Korea and the United States, are reportedly working on similarly powerful MRI machines. Experts believe that the latest development sheds light on the elusive mechanisms behind neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson”s and Alzheimer”s.
