The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2003

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2003 was awarded jointly to Paul C. Lauterbur and Sir Peter Mansfield "for their discoveries concerning magnetic resonance imaging."

Nobelist	Born	Died	Affiliation at the time of the award
Paul C. Lauterbur	6 May 1929, Sidney, OH, USA	27 March 2007, Urbana, IL, USA	University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
Sir Peter Mansfield	9 October 1933, London, United Kingdom	8 February 2017	University of Nottingham, School of Physics and Astronomy, Nottingham, United Kingdom

Summary
Imaging of human internal organs with exact and non-invasive methods is very important for medical diagnosis, treatment and follow-up. This year’s Nobel Laureates in Physiology or Medicine have made seminal discoveries concerning the use of magnetic resonance to visualize different structures. These discoveries have led to the development of modern magnetic resonance imaging, MRI, which represents a breakthrough in medical diagnostics and research.

Atomic nuclei in a strong magnetic field rotate with a frequency that is dependent on the strength of the magnetic field. Their energy can be increased if they absorb radio waves with the same frequency (resonance). When the atomic nuclei return to their previous energy level, radio waves are emitted. These discoveries were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1952. During the following decades, magnetic resonance was used mainly for studies of the chemical structure of substances. In the beginning of the 1970s, this year’s Nobel Laureates made pioneering contributions, which later led to the applications of magnetic resonance in medical imaging.



More details, please click The 2003 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.