Raman Research Institute develops sleek, portable MRI machine
This innovation could offer a quieter, portable, and more affordable alternative to MRI-like scans, especially in smaller clinics, mobile units, or rural healthcare settings. MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) works by detecting tiny magnetic signals from inside the human body, especially the brain.
These signals are incredibly weak, which is why MRI machines need heavy shielding and 'ultra silent' rooms. But the new device does not need any of that. It's a fully optical, shield-free magnetometer — a small, light-based tool that can sense magnetic fields in noisy, real-world settings like clinics, outdoor sites, or even spacecraft.
Advanced magnetometers offer accuracy
Magnetometers, in general, are used to measure magnetic fields and have applications in navigation, geology, medical imaging, physics, and space research. But the most accurate types — like Optically Pumped Atomic Magnetometers (OPAMs) and Spin Exchange Relaxation-Free (SERF) magnetometers — come with limitations. While they are extremely sensitive to weak magnetic fields, they only work well in shielded, stable environments and have a narrow dynamic range, which means they can't handle magnetic fields that are too strong.
RRI researchers developed Raman-Driven Spin Noise Spectroscopy (RDSNS) technique, which works by using laser beams to 'listen' to the natural quantum jitters, known as spin noise, in rubidium atoms. These atoms behave like tiny bar magnets.
When they're exposed to a magnetic field, their spin noise patterns change slightly. By analysing these changes with laser light, the RRI team is able to measure the strength of the surrounding magnetic field without touching or disturbing the atoms. This all-optical method is fully immune to common sources of interference like electricity, vibration, and radio signals.
Most magnetometers have to choose between high sensitivity — the ability to detect extremely weak magnetic signals or wide dynamic range — the ability to measure both weak and strong magnetic fields accurately. Devices with high sensitivity can detect extremely weak fields but only in a narrow range of strength and only in very quiet conditions. Magnetometers with a wide dynamic range can handle various field strengths.
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