Development of New Instrumentation for High-Yield, High Rate Laser-Polarized Noble Gas Production

该提案将支持开发惰性气体激光偏振的新型仪器，并将这种气体自动输送到核磁共振和磁共振成像实验的样品中。近年来，在材料科学和生物成像方面取得了重大进展，使用小型的惰性气体激光偏振系统，产生有限数量的激光偏振129He或3He。然而，气体生产和输送的实际和技术问题限制了更复杂的MRI技术的应用，并且在其他情况下，完全限制了研究应用。此外，在通用电气公司收购了阿默舍姆健康公司之后，尽管需求很大，但惰性气体极化系统的商业开发已经停止。该提交文件建议通过开发一套新的仪器来解决这些问题，该仪器使用新型激光技术，自动化气体积聚和储存，以及气体压缩而没有显著的偏振损失。更广泛的影响涉及生理学的应用以及学生教育和对公众的宣传。

This proposal will support the development of novel instrumentation for noble gas laser-polarization, and automated delivery of this gas to samples for Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) experiments. In recent years, significant progress has been made in materials science and bioimaging using small, noble-gas laser-polarization systems that generate limited amounts of laser-polarized 129Xe or 3He. However, practical and technical problems with both gas production and delivery have limited the application of more complex MRI techniques, and in other cases, have restricted research applications completely. Also, commercial development of noble gas polarization systems has been halted, despite significant demands, after a takeover of Amersham Health by General Electric. This submission proposes to address these problems by developing a suite of new instrumentation using novel laser technology, automation for gas accumulation and storage, and gas compression without significant polarization loss. The broader impacts involve applications to physiology as well as student education and outreach to the general public.