Magnetic resonance tomography to end tunnel

MUNICH: Until now there was no other way - with magnetic resonance (MR) examinations which facilitate exact, and for medical diagnoses important, insights into the inside of the body, the patient had to lie for a half-an-hour or more in the narrow tunnel of the diagnostic appliance.

But a new MR tomography process from Siemens means literally that the end of the tunnel has been reached.

The so-called "Magnetom Open" is open on three sides, so that the patient undergoes the examination almost in 'free air."

A novel electro-magnet produces over the relevant part of the body the magnetic field necessary for the measurements.

That makes the examination environment substantially more pleasant, above all for children and nervous or claustrophobic adults.

Now even mothers can soothe their children by holding their hands during the examination.

Intensive care patients dependent on life-supporting appliances can now also be examined using this process, Siemens said.

Furthermore, the work of the medical staff is eased as the patient is freely accessible.

MR tomography, also called nuclear spin tomography, produces with the aid of a magnetic field sectional views of the inside of the body.

The magnetic moment of certain body atoms is thereby aligned like a compass needle and purposefully influenced by radio waves.

From the measured signals a computer finally works out the diagnosis.

-- IN-Press