OVERHAUSER MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING (ORMI) METHOD COMPRISING EX VIVO POLARIZATION OF A MAGNETIC RESONANCE (MR) IMAGING AGENT

摘要

This invention provides a method of MR investigation of a sample, said method comprising: (i) placing in a uniform magnetic field a composition comprising an OMRI contrast agent and an MR imaging agent containing nuclei (MR imaging nuclei) capable of emitting magnetic resonance signals (e.g. the primary magnetic field B0) and capable of exhibiting a T1 relaxation time of 6s or more (at 37 ~C in D20 in a field of 7T); (ii) exposing said composition to a first radiation of a frequency selected to excite electron spin transitions in said OMRI contrast agent; (iii) optionally but preferably separating the whole, substantially the whole, or a portion of said OMRI contrast agent from said MR imaging agent; (iv) administering said MR imaging agent to said sample; (v) exposing said sample to a second radiation of a frequency selected to excite nuclear spin transitions; (vi) detecting magnetic resonance signals from said sample; and (vii) optionally, generating an image or dynamic flow data from said detected signals.