MRI Scan of Human Brain
This week’s lectures on Medicine Technology and Art have been the most interesting to me so far because of my personal experience with medicine technology. Growing up I had an arteriovenous malformation which allowed me to experience MRIs several times. Professor Vesna mentioned in lecture that x-rays, CAT scans, and MRIs are all forms of art and it has been very interesting to view my experience in a new perspective (Vesna). Knowing that I spent so much time in these machines making art has allowed me to view my experience in a positive manner.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) uses radio waves and magnetic fields to help construct an image of organs, blood vessels, bones, and muscles. Unlike x-rays, there is no radiation being produced when the MRI machine is on (John Hopkins). When you get an MRI done, you are asked to lay down and are placed inside a tube-like structure. When the machine is on, it is usually really loud which is why they provide earplugs and noise canceling headphones for you to wear. I would spend around 30-60 minutes inside of the machine which was pretty scary to experience because I was trapped in an enclosed space for so long.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging has allowed us to further connect art, science, and technology. MRIs have been used in artistic ways to create visuals of the body and the brain. These images have allowed us to gain a deeper understanding of ourselves. They are forms of portraits that represent our physical and emotional state (Casini). MRI technology has allowed doctors to see the inside of the body without performing any surgical procedures. A very popular invasive procedure that has been performed is illustrated by the Visible Human Body Project. The project shows a man and a woman's body which were cut in the axial plane at 1 millimeter intervals (Micheau). During the process the body was photographed and digitalized. The man was a Texas murderer who agreed to donate his body for scientific research. However, he was not aware it would be visible to the public which sparked an ethical debate. This issue can be related to the relevance of ethics and the Hippocratic Oath in modern medical practices. Today the Hippocratic Oath ensures a doctors duty to endorse patient confidentiality and provide the best possible care without inducing harm to patients (Tyson).
Works Cited
Casini, Silvia. "Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) as Mirror and Portrait: MRI Configurations between Science and the Arts." Leonardo, vol. 47, no. 5, 2014, pp. 480-485.
“Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI).” Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) | Johns Hopkins Medicine, John Hopkins Medicine, 6 Dec. 2021, https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treatment-tests-and-therapies/magnetic-resonance-imaging-mri.
Micheau, Dr. Antoine, and Dr. Denis Hoa. “Visible Human Project: Normal Anatomy: E-Anatomy.” IMAIOS, IMAIOS, 4 Oct. 2022, https://www.imaios.com/en/e-anatomy/whole-body/visible-human-project.
Tyson, Peter. “The Hippocratic Oath Today.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, 27 Mar. 2001, https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/article/hippocratic-oath-today/.
Vesna, Victoria. "Human Body & Medical Technology." Design Media Arts 9, April 2023, University of California Los Angeles. Lecture.
Images Cited
Cumbers, John. “The Latest Quantified Self Trend: Whole-Body MRI.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 9 Nov. 2022, https://www.forbes.com/sites/johncumbers/2021/03/24/the-latest-quantified-self-trend-whole-body-mri/?sh=3f7c253b6d5c.
Merydolla. “MRI+Scan Images .” Adobe Stock, Adobe, https://stock.adobe.com/search?k=mri%2Bscan&asset_id=220350807.
“Visible Human Project.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 1 Dec. 2022, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visible_Human_Project.
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