Non-medical MRI at 0.5 Tesla

The article provides a brief overview of non-medical applications of a 0.5T clinical MRI scanner. It is noted that for a number of technological applications there are no restrictions on the scanning time, which creates favorable conditions for use of multinuclear methods in them (the ones based on the detection of not only protons, but also other nuclei). The article demonstrates the possibility of obtaining images of MRI coils, which is useful for clarifying their design. It also provides examples of volumetric visualization of objects that do not normally produce an NMR signal by applying a hydrogen-containing substance to their surface or by immersing them in a liquid or gaseous medium that can generate a strong MR signal (the signal void imaging method). It is shown that the surface application method can be used for incorporating textual information into an MR image. It is also demonstrated that the use of the signal void imaging method allows for detecting signals not only from protons, but also from sodium and fluorine, as well as for visualizing metal objects.