Last Wednesday at FSL, we were lucky enough to tour a SFU medical imaging lab at Surrey Memorial hospital. There, two machines were showcased: the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetoencephalography (MEG) machines. Although both pieces of equipment seek to peer inside the human body, they accomplish these tasks very differently.
We learned that MRI is a non-invasive procedure that allows medical professionals to view the body’s inner mechanics. It creates images by causing hydrogen atoms in water to vibrate and change orientation. To do this, two extremely powerful magnets are used, with the one at the lab capable of generating three Teslas of magnetic field strength! In comparison, the Earth’s magnetic field consists of a measly 5.0 × 10−5 Tesla.
While the MRI creates images by creating a magnetic field, the MEG does so by detecting the ultra-subtle magnetic fields emitted by the brain. The machinery is so sensitive that it can detect the engine of a car driving two kilometres away. Consequently, the MEG is enclosed within an insulated room that muffles any background magnetic fields. According to the technicians, the MEG is not currently in clinical use, but is involved in several studies.
Both the MRI and the MEG helped revolutionize how healthcare is provided. Long gone are the days of invasive surgery to peer into the body, as well as the necessity for harmful exposure to radiation. However, despite the medical advances enabled though MRI and MEG, there is still much room for improvement. As MEG is not yet in widespread use in Canada, the potential of the technology has yet to be seen. Nevertheless, only time will tell the true extent of these monumental medical innovations.
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