Together with researchers from the University of Zurich Siemens tried to answer the question: Can a new software for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems provide insight into the anatomy and disease characteristics of the human being, even for those parts of the human body which, even more so for a mummy (right picture), contain almost no water? Siemens is currently developing specific software for picking up the signal from dry tissue and converting it into sharp images. The ultra-short-echo-time-application (UTE) may allow visualization of even fine bone structures without X-rays in the future.

New Software opens new possibilities of MRI

Up to now, visualization of body tissue through an MR system was only possible based on the tissue's different water contents. Hence, it was primarily soft tissue that physicians saw on MR images, and not, for example, details of the bone structure (left picture), as will be possible with the new software. "Not only orthopedic surgeons will be pleased - our software will also support neurologists when examining, for example, patients with Alzheimer's disease with the aid of such MR images, or monitoring the body metabolism," explained Walter Maerzendorfer, the Head of the Magnetic Resonance Business Unit at Siemens Healthcare.

                       

Exams of Intervertebral Disks and Embalming Substances

What many patients will consider great progress in gentle medicine is already a milestone in the research on mummies. "The new software from Siemens provides us for the first time with an absolutely non-destructive examination method without having to moisten valuable tissue before the examination," says Frank Ruehli (right picture), MD, Head of the Swiss Mummy Project, Anatomical Institute, University of Zurich. Various ancient Egyptian and Peruvian mummies have been examined with MR scanners from Siemens. This method also allowed a particularly close examination of parts of the intervertebral disks or embalming substances used for mummification in ancient Egypt.