Mummy test shows magnetic resonance scanner at its best
Looking inside the mummy
2008-Feb-11
Researchers at the University of Zurich have looked inside an almost 1,000 year old mummy from Peru – without damaging this archeological treasure. Anatomist MD, PhD Frank Rühli and his team have become the first study group in the world to succeed in obtaining this spectacular insight using a magnetic resonance tomograph (MRT), something which had previously been impossible.
For a quarter of a century, doctors have been using MRTs to obtain precise three-dimensional images of the inside of the human body – without using X-ray radiation. Until now, doctors have only been able to scan wet tissue, as it is primarily the hydrogen atoms in water that emit a strong signal in the magnetic field.
Using a new measurement method – UTE (Ultrafast Echo Time) – researchers from Siemens Healthcare have been able to solve this problem. Even though the UTE process had to pass its endurance test on a mummy, it is not solely a theoretical research method. Indeed, it will soon be widely used in hospitals to help sick people. (PN 2008.05)
