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Helium MR Imaging

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Functional Imaging of the Chest

Part of the book series: Medical Radiology ((Med Radiol Diagn Imaging))

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Abstract

Conventional proton MR images of the lungs are hampered by the low proton density in the lungs and by artifacts caused by inhomogeneous static fields within the thorax. Therefore, the lung has traditionally been considered a black hole in terms of MR imaging. In recent years, the introduction of hyperpolarized noble gases, such as helium-3 (3-He) and xenon-129 (129-Xe), has shown promise for functional imaging of the pulmonary air spaces. These isotopes have a nuclear spin of 1/2 and are thus sensitive to nuclear magnetic resonance techniques. In the presence of a strong magnetic field (B0) these spins in a given atom can exist in one of either two ground states aligned either parallel to or anti-parallel to B0. Conventional proton MRI utilizes the fact that in thermal equilibrium a slightly larger proportion of the spins adopt the lower energy ground state (parallel to B0) and this population can be subsequently excited into the higher state by radio frequency excitation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Academic Unit of Radiology, Floor C, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Glossop Road, Sheffield, S10 2JF, UK

    Edwin J. R. van Beek MD, PhD, FRCR (Clinical Senior Lecturer/Honorary Consultant Radiology), Andrew Swift MD & Jim M. Wild MD

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  1. Edwin J. R. van Beek MD, PhD, FRCR
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  2. Andrew Swift MD
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  1. Innovative Krebsdiagnostik und Therapie, Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany

    Hans-Ulrich Kauczor MD (Professor of Radiology) (Professor of Radiology)

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van Beek, E.J.R., Swift, A., Wild, J.M. (2004). Helium MR Imaging. In: Kauczor, HU. (eds) Functional Imaging of the Chest. Medical Radiology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-18621-9_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-18621-9_8

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