By reading yesterday’s press release from IBM, we stumbled upon Mayo Medical Ventures, an offshoot of Mayo Clinic research, that has developed new small scale MRI coils for hand and wrist injury imaging (MRI coils are used inside the MRI machine to improve resolution and visualization of structures.) These coils have been reported originally in 2003, and the device has been approved by the FDA. The coils are being manufactured by IBM in Rochester, Minn.
Some info about the coils:
Named Mayo Clinic BC-10 MRI Coils, these devices are highly sophisticated units used in taking detailed pictures of a particular part of the body. They produce high resolution images at 1.5 and 3 Tesla. Tesla indicates the strength of the main magnetic field used in MR imaging. High resolution images improve a physician’s ability to see small structures such as tiny ligaments and nerves in the hand. This means more accurate diagnosis of injuries and diseases, and in some cases, eliminates the need for invasive diagnostic procedures such as arthroscopy, the visual examination of the interior of a joint with a special surgical instrument.
IBM press release…
Mayo Clinic’s 2003 press release…