Medical imaging usually requires large and expensive machines to see inside the body clearly. However, researchers in Germany have found a new way to improve MRI scans without needing bigger equipment. They have developed a small, light antenna using a special material called metamaterial.
This new antenna can be added to existing MRI machines. Metamaterials are artificial substances with unique properties that interact with electromagnetic waves. Nandita Saha, a student at the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in Berlin, explained that their goal was to improve MRI hardware using modern physics. The team, guided by Professor Thoralf Niendorf, created the antenna using specific building blocks.
A major advantage is that hospitals can use this antenna with their current MRI systems. It fits into the existing radiofrequency coils. When tested on 7.0 Tesla scanners, the antenna significantly improved signal capture and transmission. Signal strength increased by 30 to 132 percent compared to standard antennas.
Scientists from Berlin worked with experts at Rostock University Medical Center to test the technology. They scanned people's eyes and the back of their brains. Professor Oliver Stachs from Rostock noted that the antenna is very useful for eye examinations, providing detailed MRI images. The antenna's small size also makes the scanning process more comfortable for patients and can improve safety by focusing energy more precisely.
This technology could also help in cancer treatment by guiding radiofrequency energy to heat tumors. The innovation, supported by the German Research Foundation, was published in the journal Advanced Materials. The team plans to adapt the antenna for different MRI machines and hopes to image other atoms in the body. Broader clinical trials are planned for organs like the kidneys and heart.