IBM Research Creates Microscope With 100 Million Times Finer Resolution Than Current MRI

IBM Press room > Press releases ^ | 13 Jan 2009 | Jenny Hunter IBM Media Relations

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

San Jose, Calif

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13 Jan 2009:

IBM Research (NYSE: IBM) scientists, in collaboration with the Center for Probing the Nanoscale at Stanford University, have demonstrated magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with volume resolution 100 million times finer than conventional MRI.

This result, published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), signals a significant step forward in tools for molecular biology and nanotechnology by offering the ability to study complex 3D structures at the nanoscale.

By extending MRI to such fine resolution, the scientists have created a microscope that, with further development, may ultimately be powerful enough to unravel the structure and interactions of proteins, paving the way for new advances in personalized healthcare and targeted medicine. This achievement stands to impact the study of materials – from proteins to integrated circuits – for which a detailed understanding of atomic structure is essential.

"This technology stands to revolutionize the way we look at viruses, bacteria, proteins, and other biological elements," said IBM Fellow Mark Dean, vice president of strategy and operations for IBM Research.

This advancement was enabled by a technique called magnetic resonance force microscopy (MRFM), which relies on detecting ultrasmall magnetic forces. In addition to its high resolution, the imaging technique has the further advantages that it is chemically specific, can "see" below surfaces and, unlike electron microscopy, is non-destructive to sensitive biological materials.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

YouTube Video at the Link ....

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

H/T to HardOCP for pointing this out.

[willgolfforfood]

Oh, crap!! What is 1/2 hour in one of THOSE things going to cost?

[WayneS]

I wonder how much THAT thing will irradiate us.

[Bertha Fanation]

Maybe now we can examine Barbara Boxer’s brain.

[ejonesie22]

Don't worry, OAbama’s health care plan will cover it for you.

Of course the wait will be 2-3 years for your appointment, meaning that it could have found that tumor that killed you a year earlier on time to be cured, if you had not have died waiting...

[polymuser]

But can it see a Chicago Democrat’s conscience?

[Blueflag]

IBM will be happy cuz it’ll take several terabytes to store the images from a single scan. AND eat up loads of teraflops to render the images etc etc.

Oracle will be happy because of the document mgmt opportunities it opens up.

Software developers will revel in the computer-aided diagnostic horizons now visible.

Hillary! and 0bama will deplore the fact that it’s not available to all at no cost.

[JohnG45]

I wonder how much THAT thing will irradiate us.

None!

It is magnetic resonance imaging.

[sharpee]

A friend did setup on a high powered MRI the tube was only 12 inches across. It was not used for people but for material.

the interesting requirement was a hatch on the roof of the building. The magnets were super cooled and if the nitrogen needed to blow off.

[WayneS]

Right. Which means it releases electro-magnetic radiation.

[EasySt]

"I wonder how much THAT thing will irradiate us."

From the article: "non-destructive to sensitive biological materials".

[Centurion2000]

But can it see a Chicago Democrat’s conscience?

Give it a really hard job. Try to find his soul, morals or ethics.

[WayneS]

Then I wonder why doctors try to limit people’s exposure to MRIs.

After getting orthopedically “busted up” a couple times over the last decade or so, I’ve had quite a few MRIs, and my doctors have been leery about doing more of them (it is not an insurance thing, I am VERY well coverded).

While I know that “regular” Alpha/Beta/Gamma Radiation is not a factor as it is with CT scans and conventional x-rays, I do not think repeated and large-scale exposure to high-power electro-magnetic radiation is considered to be good for the human body.

I wonder if there are any MRI technicians or doctors out there who can help me understand this?

[JohnG45]

Right. Which means it releases electro-magnetic radiation.

And radio waves to complete the picture.

HOWEVER!

There are no long-term harmful effects associated with MRI. (Excepting pts with metallic implants, aneurysm clips, pacemakers, shrapnel etc.)

[WayneS]

Radio waves are electro-magnetic radiation.

And I am not so sure about there being NO harmful effects associated with MRI (or large numbers of MRIs at any rate). My doctors seem to think otherwise.

[NMR Guy]

Because the magnets used contain superconducting coils, the magnets are (essentially) permanent magnets (as long as they stay cold) and aren't a source of EM radiation. The field isn't an induced field and the magnets don't draw any current during use.

You do get EM from the radio waves used to excite the nuclei. There are no long term health hazards associated with this, so there should be no limit to how many MRI scans someone can have (aside from the high cost). The radio frequency EM can be dangerous at the time of scanning if high power pulses cause too much heating of body tissue. I assume the NMR technicians are trained to avoid this, and I wouldn't be surprised if there are built in safeguards in the software to prevent any danger.

The magnetic field can be a physical danger, though! Last year, a maintenance guy can into my NMR lab and leaned his metal step ladder against a 14.1 Tesla magnet. Even though it is a newer magnet with pretty good shielding, it almost quenched, which would have filled the room with nitrogen and helium gas, driving out all the oxygen.

[WayneS]

Thanks for the info.

[JohnG45]

Thank you.

[grey_whiskers]

D@mn, but I'd hate to wait for the doctor to scroll through the pic to the point of interest...

Cheers!