A chemist, Lauterbur was well aware of a technique to view the structure of molecules called nuclear magnetic resonance. In a flash of inspiration in a restaurant, he realized that the technique could be adapted to much larger structures — say, the human body — and reveal images of hidden organs.
His first notes on his concept were scribbled on a napkin in the restaurant. It took a decade to get a machine together, but he did it, and magnetic resonance imaging, better known as “MRI”, was born. The machine allows doctors to look inside the body in incredible detail, without X-rays. MRIs instead use powerful magnets and radio waves, and then process the resulting signals by computer, to create incredibly detailed images of soft tissues.
Lauterbur shared the 2003 Nobel Prize in Medicine for his work (with Peter Mansfield, who figured out how to use math to turn the return signals into clear images). Lauterbur died March 27 at home from kidney disease. He was 77.