Method of obtaining information of a specified or target area of a living body near its skin surface by the application of a nuclear magnetic resonance phenomenon

A method of obtaining information of a predetermined target area in a living body near its skin surface by the application of a nuclear magnetic resonance phenomenon, comprising the steps of:

• providing a static magnetic field generator in close proximity to said target area for generating a static magnetic field H.sub.O ;
• providing a radio-frequency magnetic field generator in close proximity to said target area for generating a radio-frequency magnetic field H.sub.1 having a nuclear magnetic resonance frequency f.sub.0 ;
• providing said radio-frequency magnetic field H.sub.1 as a local inductive magnetic field;
• applying said magnetic fields H.sub.1 and H.sub.0 to said target area so that said fields perpendicularly intersect each other in said target area;
• focusing at least one of said magnetic fields onto a predetermined point coincident with said target area;
• disposing a means for signal isolating said target area from its surrounding area adjacent to said target area to permit said at least one focused field from causing nuclear magnetic resonance signals in said surrounding area;
• disposing a nuclear magnetic resonance signal detector approximately to said target area;
• detecting and measuring a nuclear magnetic resonance signal from said target area.