The Nobel Prize in Medicine for Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Charles G. Fry
Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI 53706
J. Chem. Educ., 2004, 81 (7), p 922
DOI: 10.1021/ed081p922
Publication Date (Web): July 1, 2004

Abstract

A review is given of the crucial work performed by Paul C. Lauterbur and Peter Mansfield that lead to their being awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2003. Lauterbur first expounded the idea of mapping spatial information from spectral data in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) through the application of magnetic field gradients (P. C. Lauterbur, Nature 1973, 242, 190-191). One year later Mansfield and co-workers introduced the idea of selective excitation to NMR imaging (A. N. Garroway, P. K. Grannell, and P. Mansfield. J. Phys. C: Solid State Physics 1974, 7, L457-L462). A major step in making the technique useful for clinical imaging came with Mansfield's publication of the method known as echo planar imaging (P. Mansfield, J. Phys. C: Solid State Physics 1977, 10 (3), L55-L58). Lauterbur's and Mansfield's work captured the essence of scientific discovery, collaboration, and concerted effort to overcome significant technical issues, and were key to the development of the technique of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Examples of how MRI technology can be extended to chemical research are given, and limitations of the technique in this regard are discussed. Discussion of how to use commonly available NMR spectrometers for chemical imaging is also provided.

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NMR Spectroscopy
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  • Received: August 03, 2009

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