FRENCH SCIENTISTS HAVE CREATED THE MOST POWERFUL MRI APPARATUS, WHICH MAY HELP TO FIGHT BRAIN DISEASES MORE EFFECTIVE

Scientists from France have managed to develop a powerful magnetic resonance imaging apparatus. Thanks to this powerful new device, diagnostics of various brain diseases, such as Parkinson's disease, can be diagnosed in the early stages.

«We can potentially detect the disease at earlier stage and therefore control it more precisely», - said Nicolas Boulant, project supervisor.

The scanner, developed by the scientists as part of Iseult project, uses a new cylinder-shaped super magnet, which is much heavier than that was used before.

The super magnet has impressive dimensions: 5 meters in length and 5 meters in diameter. The weight is 130 tons, which is almost as much as an adult blue whale weighs. Such dimensions help to obtain more accurate and clear images unlike other MRI devices.

Iseult project will also allow scientists “to better understand our brain and how it works, and to study phenomena that are special to the human brain, such as music, mathematics and language,” said Nicolas Boulant.

At the beginning of 2021, the scientists expect to get the first images of the brain made by using this apparatus.

SOURCE: REUTERS