Systems and methods for assessing pulmonary gas transfer using hyperpolarized 129XE MRI

摘要

Methods and systems for assessing pulmonary gas exchange and/or alveolar-capillary barrier status include obtaining at least one MRI image and/or image data of 129Xe dissolved in the red blood cells (RBC) in the gas exchange regions of the lungs of a patient. The image is sufficiently sensitive to allow a clinician or image recognition program to assess at least one of pulmonary gas exchange, barrier thickness or barrier function based on the 129Xe MRI RBC image.

主权项

1. A method for providing MRI data of pulmonary gas exchange and/or alveolar-capillary barrier status, comprising:
transmitting an RF MRI excitation pulse sequence configured to excite dissolved phase hyperpolarized 129Xe in a gas exchange region of a lung of a subject; obtaining MRI image data of dissolved phase hyperpolarized 129Xe in a red blood cell (RBC) compartment in the gas exchange region of the lung of the subject based on the transmission of the RF MRI excitation pulse sequence; and generating at least one 3-D dissolved phase hyperpolarized 129Xe MRI image of the gas exchange region of the lung using the obtained dissolved phase hyperpolarized 129Xe MRI image data of the RBC compartment.