Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) uses a powerful magnetic field, radio waves and a computer to produce detailed pictures of the structures within the heart.

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Most MRI machines are large, tube-shaped magnets. When you lie inside an MRI machine, the magnetic field temporarily realigns hydrogen atoms in your body. Radio waves cause these aligned atoms to produce very faint signals, which are used to create cross-sectional MRI images.

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The MRI machine can also be used to produce 3-D images that may be viewed from many different angles.

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Although the science is difficult to grasp the images produced are of very high quality and allow an unparalleled insight into disease effecting the heart's structure and function.

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Cardiac MRI is commonly used to examine the heart muscle in heart failure and the effect of coronary heart disease on the function of the heart.

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