This week has been very fascinating for me both professionally and personally. With regard to my job, the department that I work in had a "superconducting magnet" that was delivered and was installed at our site. I should be honest about the initial phase of the magnet installation that was conducted. About now, you should be asking yourself, what does this have to do with this blog? Furthermore, as a reader what you are talking about??? Well, let me relate it to a technology that you will be familiar with, whether through family or friends, etc. Have you ever had an MRI for a condition? What does MRI stand for? Why does a patient that has an MRI have to feel like he/or she is in a very confined space? Why is it so loud during the measurement on my body? These are valid questions that I would like to address, but before I can do this, I must state a disclaimer on this discussion....
In a previous blog, I stated that I would make future blogs "shorter" than before---I was being "long winded" due to catching up with the past. Since then I have realized that this is "my blog" and I need the appropriate amount of space to convey my scientific ideas to you in a "coherent" fashion. With this in mind, I will answer the above stated questions in order.
First question, what does the delivery of a superconducting magnet have to do with this blog?
The simple answer is that when "mike learns", then what follows is that mike can properly translate scientific ideas to the community at large in the most effective way possible. More importantly, what are the connections to your "health" and my receiving a "superconducting" magnet for our chemistry department at CSUN (California State University at Northridge)?
Let's start with the definition of MRI? The questions stated above will not be answered in the sequence that was stated, but the answers will be provided in a coherent manner.
MRI---Magnetic Resonance Imaging.
The origins of MRI are embedded in the form of "spectroscopy" or "measurement" from which the method that is very popular is derived from---NMR. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance is the father of MRI. One interpretation that I heard through taking "graduate Quantum Mechanics courses," was that during the Second World War, during which, the initial achievements about NMR were being discovered were not "accepted." Due to the war, the public was not particularly "privy" about hearing any idea being associated with "Nuclear". Therefore, the "nuclear" was "cut off" from the name. But the measurement still is the same!!!!
As an additional disclaimer, I must admit, that the two forms of measurement---NMR and MRI are different enough to make note of the differences. NMR involves a very strong magnetic field and a small sample, whereas, MRI involves a "large" sample with a relatively strong magnetic field. Some of my colleagues might disagree with me to the extent of an argument, I welcome your input and will change accordingly----if I think that your interpretation is valid.
Moving on with the questions listed above, there is a "noise" associated with the measurement on the human body. The main idea behind MRI is that in order to take a measurement, there needs to exist a "homogeneous" magnetic field around the sample.
I must admit, I need to take a "sleep break" and get back to this blog. I will continue this entry another day.............