Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (NMRI), provides much greater contrast between the different soft tissues of the body than computed tomography (CT) does, making it especially useful in neurological (brain), musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, and oncological (cancer) imaging. Unlike CT, MRI uses no ionizing radiation. Rather, it uses a powerful magnetic field to align the nuclear magnetization of (usually) hydrogen atoms in water in the body. Radio frequency (RF) fields are used to systematically alter the alignment of this magnetization. This causes the hydrogen nuclei to produce a rotating magnetic field detectable by the scanner. This signal can be manipulated by additional magnetic fields to build up enough information to construct an image of the body.
Magnetic resonance imaging is a relatively new technology, and West Valley Imaging has the latest in this field. We proudly operate the Phillips Achieva 3.0T MRI with the 7 element dedicated breast coil. This provides amazing clarity of images helping to better view abnormalities and diagnose patients.