STOCKHOLM: Two scientists who developed a non-invasive method of imaging internal human organs that has revolutionized medical diagnosis have won the 2003 Nobel prize for medicine, Sweden's Karolinska Institutet said yesterday.

United States scientist Paul Lauterbur, 74, and Britain's Peter Mansfield, who turns 70 this week, were recognized for their discoveries concerning magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the university hospital said in a statement.

"They have made seminal discoveries concerning the use of magnetic resonance ... which represents a breakthrough in medical diagnostics and research," the institute's Nobel Assembly said.

Lauterbur's and Mansfield's discoveries led to the development of modern MRI, a painless method yielding three-dimensional images of organs inside the human body. The now-routine technique makes it possible to see the extent of a tumour, localize an inflammation in the nervous system or even see a beating heart.

Agencies via Xinhua

(China Daily 10/07/2003 page1)