BEIJING, June 9 (Xinhua) -- Chinese scientists have improved key components in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) equipment, creating clearer fetal imaging.

MRI is an important tool for discovering complex congenital diseases during fetal development. It is especially useful in the diagnosis of neurodevelopmental abnormalities and cardiovascular diseases.

Coils are a key component of MRI equipment. Due to a lack of coils that can fit the body sizes of the pregnant, standard abdominal coils are often used for fetal imaging. However, their performance is limited by insufficient coverage.

Scientists from Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology have developed a dedicated coil specifically for fetal imaging. It can increase imaging speed and achieve clearer imaging of fetal development.

The research was published in IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging.

The technology is being adopted by a Chinese medical imaging equipment company and is expected to be ready for clinical application by the end of the year.