What Causes the Knocking Sound in an MRI Scanner?

Anybody who has undergone an MRI scan can tell you that other than the claustrophobia of being in an enclosed cylinder, the other bothersome part is the knocking sound that occurs. Here's a video (see below) that localizes where and why that knocking sound occurs. The bottom line is that the sound is due to a helium pump that disperses liquid helium in order to cool the wires that control the magnets down to -269.1 degrees Celsius. MRI machines work by generating a very large magnetic f…

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How Does a CT Scanner Work? [video]

In medicine, we order a LOT of CT scans... but ever wonder exactly how it works? All we see is the donut shaped thing that patients go through the center of. Take a look at this video (see below) that shows what is happening on the INSIDE of the CT scanner as a patient goes through the center! On a related note, ever wonder what that knocking sound is during an MRI scan? Read this blog article .

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