NMR

Department of Biomedical Engineering

3rd stage

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NMR

Magnetic
Moment
Discussion

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 `Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) tomography has emerged as a powerful imaging technique in

the medical field because of its high-resolution capability and potential for chemical specific imaging.

 Although similar to the X-ray computerized tomography (CT), it uses magnetic fields and radio

frequency signals to obtain anatomical information about the human body as cross-sectional images

in any desired direction and can easily discriminate between healthy and diseased tissue.

 NMR images are essentially a map of the distribution density of hydrogen nuclei and parameters

reflecting their motion, in cellular water and lipids.

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 The total avoidance of ionizing radiation, its lack of known hazards and the penetration of bone and

air without attenuation make it a particularly attractive non-invasive imaging technique.

 CT provides details about the bone and tissue structure of an organ whereas NMR highlights the

liquid-like areas on those organs and can also be used to detect flowing liquids, like blood.

 A conventional X-ray scanner can produce an image only at right angles to the axis of the body,

whereas the NMR scanner can produce any desired cross-section, which offers a distinct advantage

to and is a big boon for the radiologist.

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 Magnetic Moment:

 All materials contain nuclei that are either protons or

neutrons or a combination of both.

 Nuclei containing an odd number of protons or neutrons or

both in combination, possess a nuclear ‘spin’ and a

magnetic moment which has both magnitude and Fig. 1.1 Random alignment of
magnetic moments of the
direction. nuclei making up the tissue,
resulting in a zero-net
 In body tissue or any other specimen, the magnetic magnetization.

moments of the nuclei making up the tissue is randomly

aligned (Fig. 1.1) and have zero net magnetization (M = 0). 5

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 When a material is placed in a magnetic field 𝐵𝑜, some of the randomly oriented nuclei experience

an external magnetic torque which tends to align the individual parallel or anti-parallel magnetic

moments to the direction of an applied magnetic field.

 There is a slight excess of nuclei aligned parallel with the magnetic field and this gives the tissue a

net magnetic moment 𝑀𝑜.

 It is this differential in a magnetic moment that accounts for the nuclear magnetic resonance signal

on which the imaging is based. With the magnetic moments being randomly oriented with respect

to one another, the components in the X-Y plane cancel one another out while the Z components

along the direction of the applied magnetic field adds up to produce this magnetic moment M0 (Fig.

1.2). 6
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Fig. 1.2 The application of external magnetic

field causes the nuclear magnetic moments to

align themselves, producing a net moment in

the direction of the field 𝐵𝑜.

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 According to the electromagnetic theory, any nucleus such as a hydrogen proton which possesses a

magnetic moment attempts to align itself with the magnetic field in which it is placed. This results

in a precession (Fig.1.3) or wobbling of the magnetic moment about the applied magnetic field with

a resonant angular frequency, 𝑤𝑜 (called the Larmor frequency) are determined by a constant 𝛾

(the magnetogyric ratio) and the strength of the applied magnetic field 𝐵𝑜.

 Each nuclide possesses a characteristic value for 𝛾 but 𝑤𝑜 and 𝐵𝑜 are related as follows: 𝑤𝑜= 𝛾𝐵𝑜

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 Another important phenomenon of NMR is that the applied external magnetic field creates an

energy absorption state from a statistical point of view. When a nucleus with a magnetic moment is

placed in a magnetic field; the energy of the nucleus is split into lower (moment parallel with the

field) and higher (anti-parallel) energy levels. The energy difference is such that a proton with

specific frequency (energy) is necessary to excite a nucleus from the lower to the higher state.

 The excitation energy E is given by the Planck’s equation E = h𝑤𝑜. Where h is Planck’s constant

divided by 2p.

 This energy is usually supplied by an RF magnetic field. The spinning charged particles could be

electrons, either single or unpaired, or charged nuclei such as the proton of ionized hydrogen. The

ratio of excited particle to particle at rest and other properties of particular nuclei determine the
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Fig. 1.3 Processing or wobbling of the nucleus

about an applied magnetic field, with a

resonant

angular frequency 𝑤𝑜.

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Homework Answer the question:

 Write a summary about what you understood from the video attached in this

PowerPoint file

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ANY QUESTIONS?

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