Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging: The Multiple Sensitive Point Method

After outlining the basic principles of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and of NMR imaging, the paper gives an account of the multiple sensitive point (MSP) method of NMR imaging. High-quality proton NMR images of potential medical and biological usefulness have been produced by the MSP method, of fruit, small animals, and the live human hand, wrist and forearm. The paper briefly discusses tissue discrimination, tumour detection, resolution in the image, imaging time, extension to whole-body sizes, radio frequency penetration, the use of other nuclei, and hazard. The advantages of NMR tomography as a method of medical imaging and of the MSP method in particular, are discussed.