The State University of New York

Princeton University

Other

The Brigham and Women's Hospital, Inc.

Dilip Balamore

William Happer

Gordon D Cates, Jr

Bastiaan Driehuys

Brian Saam

Mitchell S Albert

Arnold Wishnia

Mitchell Albert

Arvind K Venkatesh

A method of imaging using magnetic resonance includes administering hyperpolarized noble gas to a subject in a region to be imaged, applying a magnetic field of a magnitude between about 0.0001 Tesla and about 0.1 Tesla to the subject at least in the region of the subject to be imaged, detecting a spatial distribution of magnetic resonance signals of the hyperpolarized noble gas in the subject, and producing a representation of the spatial distribution.

Low-field MRI

A method of imaging a spatial distribution of a noble gas by nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry includes detecting a spatial distribution of at least one noble gas by NMR spectrometry and generating a representation of said spatial distribution of the noble gas. The noble gas is selected from noble gas isotopes having nuclear spin, preferably Xenon-129 and/or Helium-3. The noble gas is at least thermally or equilibrium polarized and is preferably hyperpolarized, most preferably hyperpolarized by optical (laser) pumping in the presence of an alkali metal or by metastability exchange. The generation of the representation of the noble gas spatial distribution includes at least one dimension, preferably 2 or 3 dimensions of the spatial distribution. The noble gas may be imaged according to the invention in chemical or biological systems, preferably in a human or animal subject or organ system or tissue thereof. Also, apparatus for nuclear magnetic resonance imaging of the spatial distribution of at least one noble gas includes means for imaging a noble gas by NMR spectrometry and means for providing and/or storing imageable quantities of a noble gas, preferably hyperpolarized Xenon-129 and/or Helium-3. Also, a medical composition includes a medically acceptable bifunctional gas effective for in vivo anesthesiological and NMR imaging functions, including at least one noble gas, preferably hyperpolarized Xenon-129 and/or Helium-3.

Magnetic resonance imaging using hyperpolarized noble gases

Magnetic resonance imaging using Hyperpolarized noble gases

Growing community of inventors

Shoreham, NY, United States of America

Dilip Balamore