Hyperpolarized 129 Xe gas lung MRI–SNR and T 2 comparisons at 1.5 T and 3 T

• Published in: Magnetic resonance in medicine 2012-12, Vol.68 (6), p.1900-1904
• Main Authors: Xu, Xiaojun, Norquay, Graham, Parnell, Steven R., Deppe, Martin H., Ajraoui, Salma, Hashoian, Ralph, Marshall, Helen, Griffiths, Paul D., Parra‐Robles, Juan, Wild, Jim M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0740-3194; 1522-2594
• DOI: 10.1002/mrm.24190

In this study, the signal‐to‐noise ratio of hyperpolarized 129 Xe human lung magnetic resonance imaging was compared at 1.5 T and 3 T. Experiments were performed at both B 0 fields with quadrature double Helmholtz transmit–receive chest coils of the same geometry with the same subject loads. Differences in sensitivity between the two field strengths were assessed from the signal‐to‐noise ratio of multi‐slice 2D 129 Xe ventilation lung images obtained at the two field strengths with a spatial resolution of 15 mm × 4 mm × 4 mm. There was a systematically higher signal‐to‐noise ratio observed at 3 T than at 1.5 T by a factor of 1.25. Mean image signal‐to‐noise ratio was in the range 27–44 at 1.5 T and 36–51 at 3 T. T of 129 Xe gas in the partially inflated lungs was measured to be 25 ms and 18 ms at 1.5 T and 3 T, respectively. T of 129 Xe gas in fully inflated lungs was measured to be 52 ms and 24 ms at 1.5 T and 3 T, respectively. Magn Reson Med, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.