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As magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) magnets have become larger, the images they produce have improved. The first MRI machines had magnets that were 0.5 Tesla (0.5T) or smaller. The largest magnets now in widespread use are 3T, but 7T magnets are being tested in research settings. Human body images from 7T magnets generally are spectacular, but, for technical reasons, they also produce artifacts (blank spots and hot spots) that limit their use in clinical medicine. Another limitation of current MRI technology is that the radiofrequency coils that emit signals must be physically close to the body being imaged. As a result, patients lie in very cramped environments, and many experience claustrophobia.
A Swiss team reported that MRI images can b…