The Iseult MRI scanner, with a magnetic field intensity of 11.7 tesla (the most powerful in the world), has been announced by CEA (French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission).
CEA said they have acquired "some of the most remarkable anatomical images of the brain. The same image quality would require hours with MRI scanners currently available in hospitals (1.5 or 3 teslas), but that's not realistic in practice (any movement would blur the image)."
Detecting weak brain signals
CEA said the scanner will also facilitate detection of some chemical species with weak signals that are hard to capture at lower magnetic fields, such as lithium (a drug used to treat bipolar disorders), molecules actively involved in brain metabolism) and glucose and glutamate (associated with many brain diseases, such as gliomas and neurodegeneration).
The ultra-detailed anatomical information will also support diagnostic and health care for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
"Cognitive sciences will also be of key importance in our research,” said Nicolas Boulant, the Head of the Iseult project and Director of Research at CEA.