Who invented the MRI? A short story

[Leslie221]

Just an interesting little story about how something good came out of a cancer experience - something well-known to each of us.

Leslie

A man of great thoughts, born in Forest Hills, New York, Raymond V. Damadian (1936-) helped invent the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner, one of the greatest breakthroughs in medical diagnostics. The non-invasive MRI creates high-quality images of the inside of the human body, more detailed than X-ray or CAT scanners.

As a child, the compassionate Damadian was influenced by watching his grandmother suffer the pain of cancer. He studied the violin for over eight years and majored in mathematics before becoming a doctor in 1960.

"The one thing I found appealing about medicine was that it didn't seal your options," he explained.

Using advanced principles of physics and computing, the MRI produced images with magnetism and radio waves. "What I learned in the process of developing the MR scanner was that criticism is an integral part of the process and always has been," observed Damadian. "The bolder the initiative, the harsher the criticism."

With a scanner he named "Indomitable," Dr. Damadian made the first scan of the human body in 1977. The next year, he formed FONAR Corporation (from "Field fOcused Nuclear mAgnetic Resonance") to produce the first commercial scanner in 1980. Damadian's discovery has saved the lives of millions of people through early detection of cancer and other illnesses.

"Innovation is the thrill of discovery," Damadian said. "Ideas come from this thrill."

Every challenge reveals a great discovery.

[Fall54]

How very interesting!!! Thanks Leslie. I just had my first MRI last week and have not got the results yet for chronic back pain. I had had an Xray the week before but an MRI was suggested from the person that reads the xrays.

Thanks for the info and I just have to say LOVE THAT PICTURE!!

God bless you both,

Jane

[Ann]

Thanks for shareing this information. I only wish this gentleman had taken into consideration those of us that can't handle these closed in spaces!!!!