New technology ‘enhances MRI scans’

MRI scans can now be amplified with the help of a new technique that improves the signal strength by up to 10,000 times, according to new research.

By using xenon gas which has been altered using laser light, the molecules in atoms are manipulated so that most of them are facing the same way, which allows a clearer picture to be constructed.

Alexander Pines, who led the development of the Hyper-SAGE technology at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the University of California, pointed out that the tool could be useful for molecular imaging and in vivo diagnostics.

Mr Pines explained: “It is absolutely amazing because we’re looking at pure gas and can reconstruct the whole image of our target.”

A recent study at the John Hopkins University School of Medicine showed that a one-minute eye movement exam is more effective than an MRI scan in identifying whether a patient is suffering from a stroke or something less serious.