Development of a Compact, Low-Cost Parahydrogen-Based Hyperpolarization System

描述(申请人提供)：液相超极化造影剂是一种新技术，可以将磁共振成像的灵敏度提高1万倍或更多。这些信号增强有望在许多现有的MRI应用中产生显著的改进，包括血管造影术和灌注成像。此外，由于有可能使内源性物质超极化，这些技术开始显示出新的应用前景，例如“实时”代谢成像，它不仅监测药物的运输和摄取，而且还监测代谢变化。制备超极化造影剂的两种主要方法是动态核极化(DNP)和对氢诱导极化(PhIP)。虽然DNP是一种非常灵活的方法，但PhIP也有几个优点。特别是，PhIP样品制备时间比DNP要求的要短得多，而且PhIP所需的设备相对便宜。然而，目前所有商用的偏振器都使用DNP技术。缺乏商业可用的硬件是PhIP研究的一个重大障碍。在这里，我们建议开发一种廉价、紧凑和便携的基于PhIP的偏振系统。该系统的设计将产生最大的信号增强，同时将系统的成本、复杂性和物理尺寸降至最低。此外，我们将使极化过程自动化，以便在PhIP方面没有广泛专业知识的人可以利用这项技术。我们将开发一个用户界面，允许对不同的极化技术进行实验，以便研究人员可以开发出优化的方法，使不同化合物中的各种原子核极化。最后，我们将以期刊论文和网络资源的形式将系统的设计公之于众，使其他研究人员能够使用这项技术。与公共卫生相关：超极化液体造影剂可以将磁共振成像的灵敏度提高10,000倍或更多，与传统方法相比，并有望实现各种基于MRI的新诊断方法。对氢诱导极化(PhIP)是制备超极化造影剂的一种简单、快速、相对廉价的方法。在这里，我们建议开发一个基于PhIP的偏振系统，它是紧凑的，廉价的，用户友好的。我们将通过期刊文章和网络资源的方式将该系统的设计公之于众。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Liquid-phase hyperpolarized contrast agents are a new technology that can enhance the sensitivity of magnetic resonance imaging by a factor of 10,000 or more. These signal enhancements promise to yield significant improvements in many existing applications of MRI, including angiography and perfusion imaging. In addition, because it is possible to hyperpolarize endogenous substances, these techniques are beginning to show promise for new applications such as `real-time' metabolic imaging that monitors not just transport and uptake of agents, but metabolic transformations as well. The two main approaches to preparation of hyperpolarized contrast media are dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) and parahydrogen-induced polarization (PHIP). Although DNP is a very flexible method, PHIP has several advantages as well. In particular, PHIP sample preparation times are much shorter than those required by DNP, and the equipment needed for PHIP is comparatively inexpensive. At present, however, all commercially available polarizers make use of DNP technology. The lack of commercially available hardware is a significant hindrance to research in PHIP. Here we propose to develop an inexpensive, compact, and portable PHIP-based polarization system. The system will be designed to yield maximal signal enhancements while minimizing the cost, complexity, and physical size of the system. In addition, we will automate the polarization process so that people without extensive expertise in PHIP can make use of the technology. We will develop a user interface that will allow experimentation with different polarization techniques so that researchers can develop optimized methods for polarizing a variety of nuclei in different chemical compounds. Finally, we will make the design of the system public in the form of journal articles and web resources to enable other researchers to make use of this technology. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Hyperpolarized liquid contrast media can enhance the sensitivity of magnetic resonance imaging by a factor of 10,000 or more relative to conventional methods, and promise to enable a variety of new MRI-based diagnostic methods. Parahydrogen-induced polarization (PHIP) is a simple, fast, and relatively inexpensive method for preparing hyperpolarized contrast media. Here we propose to develop a PHIP-based polarization system that is compact, inexpensive, and user-friendly. We will make the design of this system publicly available by means of journal articles and web resources.