title: Study of internal structure of the human fetus in utero by echo-planar magnetic resonance imaging.
abstract: The ultrafast echo-planar magnetic resonance imaging technology, developed and built in Nottingham, has been used to produce the first snapshot images of the human fetus in utero. The imager, operating at a proton resonance frequency of 22 MHz, produces transaxial views in 64 or 128 milliseconds. These images comprise either 64 x 128 or 128 x 128 pixels with an in-plane resolution of 3 x 3 mm2. The slice thickness is 10 mm. Fetal scans of up to 32 contiguous slices are produced in a few minutes. These have been used to study the internal structure of the uterus and the fetus in a range of cases with gestations ranging from 26 weeks to term. Echo-planar imaging seems particularly suitable as an imaging modality since its high speed obviates image blurring arising from fetal motion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of Nottingham, England.
authors.forename: I R
authors.initials: IR
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Stehling
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Blamire
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Coxon
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Howseman
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Chapman
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Ordidge
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mansfield
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Symonds
authors.forename: B S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Worthington
mesh_terms: D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005333:Fetus / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis