FSU and Florida Chiropractic Association Explore Use of MRI For Groundbreaking Spinal Research

Florida State University (FSU) and the Florida Chiropractic Association (FCA) are exploring a revolutionary scanner for use in the proposed Health and Human Performance Center and Lab, which would be located in Tallahassee, Fla.. This scanner, in addition to its ability to perform conventional scans, possesses the ability to scan patients in the weight-bearing position.

FONAR Corporation (NASDAQ-FONR) reported in mid-October 2000 that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had granted the company permission to market Indomitable(TM), the new stand-up MRI scanner. Representatives from FSU and FCA recently visited FONAR Corporation headquarters in Melville, N.Y., to further explore ways in which the stand-up MRI scanner can be integrated into their research. FONAR founder and CEO Dr. Raymond Damadian pointed out during the meeting that approximately 50% of all MRI scans are conducted on the spine.

"This technology is a landmark and a significant breakthrough in diagnostic imaging. Now, for the first time, we will be able to obtain MRI images of a patient in the natural weight-bearing state, which can be far different from a non-weight-bearing image," said Dr. Joe Johnson, a past president of the FCA, the nation's largest state chiropractic association, and a member of the Development Board of the College of Human Sciences at Florida State University. "This is especially important when imaging the spine and evaluating the discs, joints and integrity of the neuro-foraminal contents," he said.

Johnson was joined at the meeting by Dr. Bob Moffatt, chairman of the FSU Department of Food, Nutrition and Movement Sciences; Kurt Moore, senior director of Corporate Relations at the FSU Foundation; and Susan Sealy, director of Development of the FSU College of Human Sciences. A tour of the FONAR facilities included a view of the first weight-bearing MRI. A private meeting and luncheon occurred with FONAR executives and Damadian.

Damadian is the inventor and patent holder of the first patent in the MRI industry. The invention's initial use was proposed for scanning the human body to detect cancer. FONAR Corporation, the company founded by Damadian, introduced the world's first commercial MRI in 1980, after the first  successful MRI scan of a human that he and his associates achieved in 1977. The widespread application of MRI in medicine and biology today is a direct result of the landmark discoveries and early pioneering work of Damadian. His discoveries are the means used by all MRI scanners to detect cancer and distinguish healthy from diseased tissue.

"Being able to obtain MRI images while standing, sitting, bending or recumbent, as well as sequencing motion studies, is extremely exciting," Johnson said. "This will be of significant interest in sports medicine, trauma, cardiology and especially in the evaluation of the spine. This scanner allows for better evaluation of dynamic relationships in the weight-bearing state, plus it can also scan in the traditional recumbent posture."

Johnson practices in Paxton, Fla. Besides his involvement with FCA and FSU, he serves in other significant leadership capacities. He chairs the Health Care Practitioners Advisory Committee of the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) in Washington, D.C., he received an administrative appointment in 1999 and serves on the Executive Committee of the Medicare Coverage Advisory Committee of the Health Care Financing Administration, and is co-chair of the Committee's Durable Medical Equipment Panel. He also received appointment to the Florida Pain Management Commission by the Governor, and serves in a leadership capacity with the American Chiropractic Association (ACA).

"The weight-bearing MRI should transform how we image the spine," Johnson said. "This is truly a remarkable diagnostic tool.""

The Florida Chiropractic Association and the Lincoln Chiropractic Education Research Foundation recently endowed the Lincoln Chiropractic College Eminent Scholar Chair in Biomechanics in the College of Human Sciences at FSU.

"We are very interested in and committed to quality research, and this new technology will give scientists, researchers and physicians a better evaluation of health, disease and injuries in the dynamic state," Johnson said. He pointed out that FSU was chosen for the research chair due to a past track record of research and their commitment to be a national leader in disease prevention and wellness.

FSU's strong commitment to quality research ranks them first among public universities in royalties from licensing of intellectual property. FSU has moved past giants such as Johns Hopkins and Sloan Kettering Institute for Cancer Research.

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