1. NMR in analysis: Pharmaceutical firms use NMR as an analytical technique in checking the composition of organic compounds during the synthesis of drugs.
2. NMR in body scanning: MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)
- In MRI scan, patient placed in large, cylindrical electromagnet and radio waves sent through body. Protons align with or against the strong magnetic field and resonate in response to the pulses of radio-frequency radiation.
- Advantages: harmless, non-invasive, in contrast to high-energy X-rays it uses low-energy radio-frequency radiation.
- Hazards: Can't be used if patient has a ferromagnetic metal implant or heart pacemaker, due to the v. strong electromagnetic.
Many diseases change the water content within tissues and organs and the scanner detects these difference. A computer processes the information from the scan by taking slices over a period of time, this makes it possible to build up a 3D image reflecting the chemical structure of the tissues.
Less H-atoms = darker image.
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