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MR elastography of the lung with hyperpolarized 3 He
Author(s) -
McGee Kiaran P.,
Hubmayr Rolf D.,
Ehman R.L.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
magnetic resonance in medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.696
H-Index - 225
eISSN - 1522-2594
pISSN - 0740-3194
DOI - 10.1002/mrm.21465
Subject(s) - magnetic resonance elastography , noble gas , lung , elastography , nuclear magnetic resonance , parenchyma , materials science , chemistry , biomedical engineering , ultrasound , physics , medicine , radiology , pathology , organic chemistry
MR elastography (MRE) is a phase contrast–based technique for spatially mapping the mechanical properties of tissue‐like materials. While hyperpolarized noble gases such as helium‐3 ( 3 He) have proven to be an ideal contrast mechanism for imaging of the lung using conventional MR techniques, their applicability for lung MRE is unknown, due to the fact that gases do not support shear. In this study, we report on the application of MRE to an ex vivo porcine lung specimen inflated with a hyperpolarized noble gas. Unlike proton MRE, shear wave propagation is encoded into the gas entrapped within the alveolar spaces rather than the parenchyma itself. These data provide first evidence of the technical feasibility of MRE of the lung using hyperpolarized noble gases. Magn Reson Med, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.