The magnet field produced by the magnet in a 1.5T MRI machine is 15,000 gauss, meaning the magnet in a 1.5T scanner is 30,000 times stronger than that produced by the Earth. The scanner uses this strength to align the hydrogen nuclei and produce the images for a MRI exam.
1.5T is considered state-of-the-art in medical imaging.
Today, the standard for MRI in a clinical setting is a 1.5T MRI. A 1.5T machine is faster than lower strength MRIs and is ideal for abdomens and chest MRIs (where patients are asked to hold their breath for the MRI sequence).
