Prospect of High-Field MRI

High-Field MRI provides high resolutions, well-defined chemical shift spectra and large data acquisition rates, and may bring about a paradigm shift in medicine through the in-vivo observation of metabolism. An 11.7 T whole body MRI magnet, for example, should be able to observe metabolic reactions occurring in a human body in addition to producing very precise images of body structures. At this field13C-NMR and biochemical reactions of organic molecules can be detected and analyzed in-situ. Then, organs, tissues, vessels and biochemical processes responsible for irregularities in question will be identified. However, an 11.7 T MRI magnet with a bore diameter of 900 mm is a big challenge to the present magnet technology. Field strengths, magnet sizes and superconducting materials to be needed for future high-field MRI are described.