Sir Peter MansfieldBorn 9 Oct 1933.English physicist who at age 70 shared (with Paul Lauterbur) the 2003 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine “for their discoveries concerning magnetic resonance imaging.” His work led to the development of the MRI scanner, which provides a powerful diagnostic tool. When testing the new device, he was the first live subject to undergo an MRI scan. Since then, it is estimated that in hospitals worldwide, over 60 million scans are made each year to image the brain and other organs. In an MRI machine, the patient is placed in a strong magnetic field and subjected to radio waves. Nuclei of atoms in the tissues absorb the radio waves, and the signals re-emitted are detected. The signal from the hydrogen nuclei in water enable the imaging of blood vessels, muscles, and other organs by their water content. Diseased tissue having a different water content can be distinguished, for example in tumours and brain abnormalities.« |
