Magnets, molecules and medicine

Abstract

This article provides an introduction to high-resolution NMR with discussion of some of the important hardware considerations related to applying high-resolution NMR in medicine in biology. Experience has shown that multidisciplinary groups usually have to be formed to run NMR spectrometers dedicated for biological use, to cope with the demands imposed by the living systems under investigation and use of the spectrometer system. NMR imaging has obviously had a tremendous impact in medicine and many NMR imagers are being installed in hospitals throughout the world. In comparison to the already well established imaging techniques using CT, radioisotopes and ultrasound the overall experience gained so far is limited and there is undoubtedly a lot of work to be carried out before the usefulness of NMR imaging is fully assessed.