Development of Instrumentation for High-Rate Production of Hyperpolarized 3He Gas

描述（由申请人提供）：本提案的总体目标是开发一种新颖，快速，坚固和便携式的3He超极化设备，该设备将产生~ 1l /小时的3He气体自旋极化至40%或更高。该装置将使用亚稳交换光泵浦方法（MEOP），这是一个理论上有利的过程，传统上很难实现。压缩机和激光技术的最新进展已经克服了这些障碍。与现有的基于自旋交换光泵浦方法（SEOP）的偏振器技术相比，基于MEOP工艺的偏振器将提供近十倍的超极化3He的生产速率。该设备将是美国第一台专用于生物医学MRI的MEOP 3He超极化设备，可放置在生物医学成像环境中。这个多学科项目连接了物理和生物医学科学，具有在肺生理学和医学方面提供重大突破研究的潜力。因此，该项目符合R-21资助机制。该计划的具体目标是：

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The broad objective of this proposal is to develop a novel, rapid, robust and portable 3He hyperpolarization apparatus that will produce ~ 1 L / hour of 3He gas spin-polarized to 40% or greater. The apparatus will use the metastability-exchange optical pumping method (MEOP), a theoretically-favorable process that has traditionally been difficult to implement. Recent advances in compressor and laser technology have overcome these hurdles. A polarizer based on the MEOP process will provide an almost ten-fold increase in production rate for hyperpolarized 3He when compared to current polarizer technology based on the alternative spinexchange optical-pumping method (SEOP). The proposed apparatus will be the first MEOP 3He hyperpolarization apparatus dedicated to biomedical MRI use in the US and which can be located in the biomedical imaging environment. This multidisciplinary program bridges the physical and biomedical sciences, with the potential to provide significant breakthrough research in pulmonary physiology and medicine. Thus this program qualifies for the R-21 funding mechanism. The Specific Aims of the program are: 1. Design and fabricate a prototype 3He hyperpolarization apparatus that operates using the metastabilityexchange optical pumping (MEOP) method, and produces ~ 1 L per hour of 40% polarized 3He gas. 2. Determine optimum operating conditions for the apparatus, studying 3He polarization signal as a function of operating parameters, including gas mixture, pressure, and compression rate. 3. Perform phantom 3He MRI studies with gas from the MEOP 3He hyperpolarization apparatus.