Inside UMN’s New 10.5 Tesla MRI Scanner

Most hospitals around the world have MRI machines with a strength of 1.5 Tesla. At the University of Minnesota, however, researchers have developed an MRI that scans at 10.5 Tesla, 10 times the strength of standard machines.

"This 10.5 Tesla system is the first of its kind. Not only will it give us unprecedented access to the brain, but it will allow us to image the entire body," Greg Metzger, PhD, told the Big Ten Network.

This new development will allow researchers to scan that body with a much higher resolution, allowing them to study brain anatomy, structure and activity. This revolution will allow them to be much more accurate while also opening up new scientific breakthroughs. 

“This is an instrument with which we want to push the boundaries of imaging brain function,” said Kamil Ugurbil, PhD, Director of the Center for Magnetic Resonance Research.