1990 saw major advances in medical technology. A combination of technological advances in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is unveiling new horizons for brain surgery, providing real-time feedback in the operating room. Computer-based stereotaxic techniques are being used experimentally in surgery, and experiments with robotic surgery are underway. In other developments, a variation on MRI, magnetic resonance spectroscopy, was shown to diagnose coronary artery disease accurately, ultrasonic imaging of blood flow received renewed attention, interest in biomagnetic imaging continued to grow and research cast further doubt on the efficacy of gallstone lithotripsy.