  Magnetic Resonance Imaging is one of the most versatile experimental
techniques in chemistry, physics and biology, providing insight into the
structure and dynamics of matter at the molecular scale. A group led by Klaas
Pruessmann at ETH Zurich (Brunner, D.O. et al. Travelling-wave nuclear magnetic
resonance. Nature 457;994:2009) has now demonstrated an alternative approach
that radically departs from the conventional view of MRI as a near-field,
inductive technique. This approach also required that radiofre-quency wave is
propagated from an antenna positioned at one end of the cylindrical magnet;
this wave travels through the specimen within the bore of the magnet, producing
signals that are received either by the same antenna or by another one
positioned at the opposite end. The resulting instrument considerably extends
the scale of imaging possible with Magnetic Resonance Imaging, and initial
tests demonstrated uniform high-field imaging of a variety of samples, both
inorganic and inorganic.
