MRI machines operate at high voltages yet require extreme precision when it comes to transmitting and receiving signals between the human body and the MRI coils. (Credit: AdobeStock) Maintaining Quality in Medical Imaging Applications: Considerations for Capacitor Selection T oday, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology is widely used by healthcare professionals to examine soft tissues and organs in the body. MRI is an excellent diagnostic tool because it can be used to detect a variety of potentially lifethreatening issues ranging from degenerative diseases to tumors in a noninvasive manner. To understand the design challenges involved in developing MRI equip6 Intro Cov ment, specifically when it comes to the selection of radiofrequency (RF) and electrical components such as capacitors, it's first important to understand the basic physics behind the way MRI machines operate. At a high level, the MRI machines used today are based on the principle of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). This means the machines use a strong magnetic field and computer-generated radio waves to www.medicaldesignbriefs.com ToC + - A µ produce cross-sectional images. This is possible because the molecules that make up the human body contain hydrogen, and the nucleus of the hydrogen atom has a single proton that behaves like a magnet with a north and south pole. When a strong magnetic field is applied to the body, such as the one used with MRI, the spins of the protons arrange uniformly. Next, a short computer-generated RF signal is sent out to the transmit/receive Medical Design Briefs, July 2021 Èhttp://www.medicaldesignbriefs.com