NMRXray

NMRXray is a term used to describe a hybrid imaging concept that seeks to combine nuclear magnetic resonance techniques with X-ray imaging to provide complementary information about a sample. The idea leverages the strengths of NMR methods, such as detailed chemical information and molecular dynamics, with the high-resolution structural and density contrast offered by X-ray imaging.

In practice, NMRXray would require some form of integration between magnetic resonance hardware and X-ray sources or detectors, or a tightly coordinated workflow where NMR measurements and X-ray scans are acquired on the same subject and then co-registered. Data would be fused to produce spatial maps that integrate chemical state and molecular information from NMR with structural or density information from X-ray attenuation imaging. Potential modalities within an NMRXray framework include magnetic resonance spectroscopy, relaxometry, and X-ray imaging, supported by software for joint reconstruction and image fusion.

Possible applications span medicine, materials science, and nondestructive testing. In medical contexts, NMRXray could aid in characterizing tumors or bone–soft tissue interfaces by linking biochemical signatures with anatomical structure. In materials science, the approach could correlate chemical composition with microstructural features in composites or porous media.

Challenges are substantial and include engineering a system that safely accommodates strong magnetic fields alongside X-ray exposure, managing radiation dose, ensuring patient or specimen safety, high costs, longer acquisition times, and the development of robust data fusion algorithms and standardized protocols. As of now, NMRXray remains largely conceptual with limited demonstrations and no widely adopted commercial implementation.