Magnetic resonance imaging is an examination procedure that, in contrast to an X-ray examination or computed tomography, does not work with X-rays, but with magnetic fields and radio waves.
There is a very strong magnetic field in the MRI machine. It aligns the atomic nuclei of the human body. In addition, the device emits a radio signal, the atoms start to vibrate. If the radio signal is switched off again, the atoms return to their initial state. In doing so, they emit signals that can be measured by highly sensitive antennas. A computer calculates a cross-sectional image through the body from the signals. The images can be displayed in different layers.