In:
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Vol. 93, No. 23 ( 1996-11-12), p. 12932-12936
Abstract:
By means of optical pumping with laser light it is possible to
enhance the nuclear spin polarization of gaseous xenon by four to five orders of magnitude. The enhanced polarization has allowed advances in
nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), including polarization transfer to molecules and imaging
of lungs and other void spaces. A critical issue for such applications is the delivery of xenon to the sample while maintaining the
polarization. Described herein is an efficient method for the introduction of laser-polarized xenon into systems of biological and
medical interest for the purpose of obtaining highly enhanced NMR/MRI signals. Using this method, we have made the first observation of the
time-resolved process of xenon penetrating the red blood cells in fresh human blood—the xenon residence time constant in the red blood cells
was measured to be 20.4 ± 2 ms. The potential of certain biologically compatible solvents for delivery of laser-polarized xenon
to tissues for NMR/MRI is discussed in light of their respective relaxation and partitioning properties.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
0027-8424
,
1091-6490
DOI:
10.1073/pnas.93.23.12932
Language:
English
Publisher:
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Publication Date:
1996
detail.hit.zdb_id:
209104-5
detail.hit.zdb_id:
1461794-8
SSG:
11
SSG:
12
