IBM is to unveil a nanoscale magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device incorporating ruthenium that is capable of rendering images of structures 60,000 times smaller than previous technology allowed.

The new technology would represent a significant advance in the effectiveness of MRI which is used for medical applications such as imaging to locate changes in tissues and analysing the permeability of rock to hydrocarbons.

Instead of induction coils, the groundbreaking magnetic resonance force microscopy (MRFM) technology employs three separate layers of ruthenium, iron and cobalt iron on the end of silicon tips, which gives it a capacity of 1.4 million Tesla fields.

As a result, IBM claims it can produce spatial resolutions of over 90nm - which significantly outperforms standard MRIs which have a three micron capacity.

Commenting on the developments, Dan Rugar, Manager of IBM's Research's Nanoscale Studies division, said: "Our ultimate goal is to perform three-dimensional imaging of complex structures such as molecules with atomic resolution.

"This would allow scientists to study the atomic structures of molecules - such as proteins - which would represent a huge breakthrough in structural molecular biology."

Source:

IBM Milestone Brings MRI Technology to the Nanoscale IBM claims highest resolution MRI, 22/04/07

http://presszoom.com/story_129930.html 

IBM claims highest resolution MRI, 23/04/07

http://www.eetimes.com/news/semi/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=199200531


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