MRIs are important medical tools found in doctors' offices and hospitals around the world. With a field strength around 1.5 to 3 tesla (T), these magnets image hydrogen inside the human body to help physicians find and treat disease.
At the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, we have the strongest MRI scanner in the world reaching 21.1 tesla. While we don't image humans, our massive magnetic field strength allows us to produce preclinical scans that are much clearer and more detailed than what is available in commercial MRIs.
How clear?
A stronger magnetic field helps MRIs resolve smaller and smaller details. At 3T, MRI machines can resolve details as small as 1 milimeter – about the thickness of a credit card or 10-page book report. But on our 21.1 T magnet, we can image hydrogen down to 50 microns… smaller than the thickness of a human hair. That level of detail is sort of like upgrading from an old 1970s analog television to a brand new 4K TV.
These unique MR images of vegetables and fruits were acquired using 21.1T magnet by Victor Schepkin, Research Faculty II, National MagLab/FSU, specialist in X-nuclei in vivo MRI.
Hungry for more? Prove your MRI proficiency by identifying the produce using only these ultra-clear resolution pictures.
