Approaches for hyperpolarized noble gas magnetic resonance imaging of rodent lungs

啮齿动物肺部超极化惰性气体磁共振成像方法

• 批准号: 217015-2008
• 负责人: Santyr, Giles
• 金额: $ 2.71万
• 依托单位: University of Western Ontario
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2011
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2011-01-01 至 2012-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=477860
• 关键词: Approaches; hyperpolarized; noble; gas; magnetic

Hyperpolarized Noble Gases (HNG), specifically helium-3 and xenon-129, have significantly expanded the capability of Magnetic Resonance (MR) imaging in recent years, most notably for visualizing human lung anatomy and function. HNG MR imaging offers several important advantages: (i) safety, (ii) high spatial and temporal resolution and (iii) functional information. A further novel feature of HNG is that the optimal image quality is achieved at magnetic field strengths substantially lower than most conventional MR imaging systems. Low field can reduce MR complexity and costs, allow new "open magnet" geometries for reduced claustrophobia and permit exploration of the effects of posture on lung physiology. Furthermore, the substantially increased transverse relaxation times available at low fields provides a unique opportunity to measure fundamental long-range gas diffusion and rapid oxygenation changes in the lung not possible at high fields. The objectives of the proposed research are: i) to optimize a low field MR imaging system; ii) to develop mathematical models of the relationships between measured low field HNG parameters and the anatomical and physiological properties of the lung (surface area, airway sizes, inflammation and oxygenation); iii) to develop and validate new low field HNG MR imaging methods sensitive to rodent models of lung disease. The proposed research will take place at the low field hyperpolarized MR imaging laboratory at the University of Western Ontario (Robarts Research Institute) established in part with previous NSERC Discovery funding. The research plan will bring together the expertise of the low field hyperpolarized MR imaging laboratory in the production and delivery of HNG in vivo, hardware and software development and mathematical modeling with the expertise of the Physics Department at UWO in pulsed-field MR hardware and the expertise of the UWO School of Medicine and Dentistry in the development of experimental models of lung disease in rodents. The significance of the proposed research is high as low field HNG MRI is entirely novel and therefore will provide significant opportunities for knowledge generation, both basic and applied.

近年来，超极化稀有气体 (HNG)，特别是氦 3 和氙 129，显着扩展了磁共振 (MR) 成像的能力，尤其是在可视化人体肺部解剖结构和功能方面。 HNG MR 成像具有几个重要优势：(i) 安全性、(ii) 高空间和时间分辨率以及 (iii) 功能信息。 HNG 的另一个新颖特点是，在远低于大多数传统 MR 成像系统的磁场强度下即可实现最佳图像质量。低场可以降低 MR 的复杂性和成本，允许新的“开放磁体”几何形状以减少幽闭恐惧症，并允许探索姿势对肺部生理学的影响。此外，在低场下大幅增加的横向弛豫时间提供了独特的机会来测量基本的长距离气体扩散和肺部的快速氧合变化，而这在高场下是不可能的。拟议研究的目标是：i）优化低场磁共振成像系统； ii) 开发测量的低场 HNG 参数与肺的解剖和生理特性（表面积、气道尺寸、炎症和氧合）之间关系的数学模型； iii) 开发和验证对啮齿动物肺部疾病模型敏感的新低场 HNG MR 成像方法。拟议的研究将在西安大略大学（Robarts 研究所）的低场超极化 MR 成像实验室进行，该实验室部分是由之前 NSERC Discovery 资助建立的。该研究计划将汇集低场超极化 MR 成像实验室在 HNG 体内生产和交付、硬件和软件开发以及数学建模方面的专业知识，与 UWO 物理系在脉冲场 MR 硬件方面的专业知识以及 UWO 医学和牙科学院在啮齿动物肺部疾病实验模型开发方面的专业知识。这项研究的意义非常重大，因为低场 HNG MRI 是全新的，因此将为基础知识和应用知识的生成提供重要的机会。