What is an MRI Exam?
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a technique that uses a magnetic field and radio waves to create detailed images of the organs and tissues within your body. Most MRI machines are large, tube-shaped magnets. When you lie inside an MRI machine, the magnetic field temporarily aligns all the water molecules in your body. Radio waves cause these aligned particles to produce very faint signals, which are used to create cross-sectional MRI images — like slices in a loaf of bread. The MRI machine can combine these slices to produce 3-D images that may be viewed from many different angles. Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center uses state-of-the-art MRI scanners to take pictures with very high resolution of your body. These images give your physician important information in diagnosing your medical condition and planning a course of treatment.
