University of Pennsylvania

Rahim R Rizi

Mitchell D Schnall

James E Baumgardner

David A Roberts

David Lipson

Stephen J Kadlecek

Hooman Hamedani

Kiarash Emami

Masaru Ishii

Steve Kadlecek

Systems and methods for delivering a gaseous contrast agent to the lungs of a subject.

System for delivery of gaseous imaging contrast agents and methods for using same

This invention relates to methods and apparatus of quantifying the portion of a gas in a specific nuclear symmetric state. Specifically, the invention is directed to the measurement of the speed of sound in an unknown sample and comparing it to astandard.

Gaseous nuclear symmetric state and quantification thereof

The present invention offers novel equilibration methods for very high resolution, three-dimensional imaging of imaging of lung compliance and distribution of functional residual capacity (FRC) in the lung using hyperpolarized helium-3 (He) gas (HHe), and collecting local magnetic resonance image data therefrom. Using the present methods permits many functions that have been performed on a regional level for the whole lung using non-polarized helium, to be calculated for the first time from the local MRI measurements of local HHe, such as measuring volume or compliance.

Equilibration method for high resolution imaging of lung compliance and distribution of functional residual capacity

The present invention comprises imaging and quantitative measurement of lung ventilation, particularly in a human lung. Methods for quantitative imaging of lung ventilation, and the further provided systems and algorithmic tools therefore, comprise three primary components: the combined MRI ventilation/perfusion (V/Q) imaging techniques using hyperpolarized helium-3 (He) gas (HHe); the three-dimensional quantitative imaging of absolute lung perfusion (Q) and collection of local magnetic resonance image data therefrom to produce an absolute lung perfusion image data; and the algorithmic co-registration of the two image data sets, (HP-He MRI image of V/Q and MR imaging of quantitative perfusion (Q) in the lung). From the data acquired in the combined data sets and their spatial co-registration, absolute ventilation (V) is computed.

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Ambler, PA, United States of America

Rahim R Rizi