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The Early History of MRI

About the Seminar:

Television shows from House to General Hospital include scenes where magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is used. Indeed, chances are that you or someone you know has undergone MRI testing. Despite the number of people exposed to this technology, very few would be comfortable explaining how it works. As with many such technologies, even fewer would be able to describe in any detail how it came about. In fact, most of those who design and build MRI machines know little about its history.

This presentation will briefly review the basic ideas underlying MRI and then walk through the fascinating story of how Paul Lauterbur came up with the initial idea. Some of the intrigue and controversy surrounding the early days will be discussed. The development history of MRI provides a compelling look at the past and perhaps a window into future advanced technology development efforts.

About the Speaker:

Waldo Hinshaw  Waldo Hinshaw has been working in the field of medical imaging for many years. His PhD research in the University of North Carolina Physics Department involved NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) relaxation time measurements of various materials. After hearing about the first MR images during a lecture in Bombay in 1974, he returned to his lab in Nottingham and modified an NMR system so that it produced the second set of MR images.

He accepted an appointment as Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School with the goal of developing a clinical imaging system. It soon became clear that an industrial environment is better for developing state-of-the-art technology. He assembled a
group within the Cleveland company, Technicare, which was the first company
to ship significant numbers of clinical systems. Currently, he is
working for Triple Ring Technologies and involved with
other nascent imaging technologies.