What Is an MRI Machine?
MRI units are diagnostic machines that scan the internal structures of our bodies to detect abnormalities, or rule them out. “Magnetic resonance imaging is based on … absorption and emission of energy in the radio frequency range of the electromagnetic spectrum,” according to Joseph P. Hornak, Ph.D., author of The Basics of MRI. These machines work on the principle of detecting protons in the hydrogen nuclei that make up 63 percent of our bodies in the form of fat and water molecules. Protons possess a characteristic called spin, and the powerful magnets in these machines align these hydrogen protons, while a computer assembles the data into detailed pictures. Different structures in the body produce different properties the MRI can pick up. MRI Machine Manufacturers There are several major manufacturers of MRI machines in America and overseas. At present about 10,000 units are in use around the world, and take some 75 million scans per year, Hornak says. Fonar, General Electric Heal
