With the assistance of a body scanner, doctors can see into any section of the human body. These scanners create images of a designated area, and can then locate any disorders or defects that may be present. Many scanners work by means of gamma rays or X-rays which travel throughout the body. The most favorable body scanner functions by nuclear magnetic resonance (also known as MRI or Magnetic Resonance Imaging). When a patient is laid within the NMR scanner, the body is bombarded initially with a powerful magnetic field, and then by pulsating radio waves. The nuclei in the particles of the body generate magnetic signals which are picked up by detectors. A computer then develops a picture from these signals. This type of body scanner is the most useful because, dissimilar to gamma rays and X-rays, they are totally harmless.
The patient enters the body scanner on a sliding couch. Within the machine he or she is encompassed by arched panels, which consist of coils that emit radio pulses and NMR signals. There are loop-shaped electromagnets positioned around the panels which can be made to be more conducting by cooling them with helium in liquid form. Scanning gives absolutely no sensation, not even the slightest tingle and has been one of the greatest advancements in medical science in recent history.
