Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Hyperpolarized 3-helium MR imaging of the lungs: testing the concept of a central production facility

  • Chest
  • Published:
European Radiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract.

The aim of this study was to test the feasibility of a central production facility with distribution network for implementation of hyperpolarized 3-helium MRI. The 3-helium was hyperpolarized to 50–65% using a large-scale production facility based at a university in Germany. Using a specially designed transport box, containing a permanent low-field shielded magnet and dedicated iron-free glass cells, the hyperpolarized 3-helium gas was transported via airfreight to a university in the UK. At this location, the gas was used to perform in vivo MR experiments in normal volunteers and patients with chronic obstructive lung diseases. Following initial tests, the transport (road–air–road cargo) was successfully arranged on six occasions (approximately once per month). The duration of transport to imaging averaged 18 h (range 16–20 h), which was due mainly to organizational issues such as working times and flight connections. During the course of the project, polarization at imaging increased from 20% to more than 30%. A total of 4 healthy volunteers and 8 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were imaged. The feasibility of a central production facility for hyperpolarized 3-helium was demonstrated. This should enable a wider distribution of gas for this novel technology without the need for local start-up costs.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Murray CJ, Lopez AD (1997) Alternative projections of mortality and disability by cause 1990–2020: global burden of disease study. Lancet 349:1498–1504

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Kauczor HU, Hanke A, van Beek EJR (2002) Assessment of lung ventilation by MR imaging: current status and future perspectives. Eur Radiol 12:1962–1970

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Ebert M, Grossmann T, Heil W et al. (1996) Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging on humans using hyperpolarised 3He. Lancet 347:1297–1299

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. MacFall JR, Charles HC, Black RD et al. (1996) Human lung air spaces: potential for MR imaging with hyperpolarized He-3. Radiology 200:553–558

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Deninger AJ, Eberle B, Ebert M et al. (1999) Quantification of regional intrapulmonary oxygen partial pressure evolution during apnea. J Magn Reson 141:207–216

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Salerno M, Altes TA, Brookeman JR, de Lange EE, Mugler JP III (2001) Dynamic spiral MR imaging of pulmonary gas flow using hyperpolarized 3He: preliminary studies in healthy and diseased lungs. Magn Reson Med 46:667–677

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. De Lange EE, Mugler JP, Brookeman JR et al. (1999) Lung air spaces: MR imaging evaluation with hyperpolarized 3-He gas. Radiology 210:851–857

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Altes TA, Powers PL, Knight-Scott J et al. (2001) Hyperpolarized 3-He MR lung ventilation imaging in asthmatics: preliminary findings. J Magn Reson Imaging 13:378–384

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Miron E, Schaefer S, Schreiber D, van Wijngaarden WA, Zeng X, Happer W (1984) Polarisation of the nuclear spins of noble-gas atoms by spin-exchange with optically-pumped alkali-metal atoms. Phys Rev A29:3092–3110

    Google Scholar 

  10. Becker J, Heil W, Krug B et al. (1994) Study of mechanical compression of spin-polarized 3-He gas. Nucl Instrum Meth A 346:45–51

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Grossmann T (2000) Vervollständigung des 3-He kreislaufs zur geschwindigkeitselektiven 3-He-magnet-resonance-tomography. Diploma Thesis, University of Mainz

  12. Filbir F (2001) Echtzeit 3-He-kernspin-polarimetrie mittels induktionsstossmessung. Diploma Thesis, University of Mainz

  13. Wild JM, Paley MNJ, Viallon M, Schreiber WG, van Beek EJR, Griffiths PD (2002) k-Space filtering in 2D gradient echo breath-hold hyper-polarised 3-He MRI: spatial resolution and signal to noise considerations. Magn Reson Med 47:687–695

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Schreiber WG, Weiler N, Kauczor HU et al. (2000) Ultraschnelle MRT der lungenventilation mittels hochpolarisiertem Helium-3. Rofo Fortschr Geb Roentgenstr Neuen Bildgeb Verfahr 172:129–133

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Wild JM, Paley MNJ, Kasuboski L et al. (2003) Dynamic radial projection MRI of inhaled hyperpolarized 3He. Magn Reson Med 49:991–997

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements. The authors acknowledge support from the European Commission Framework 5 program (www.phil.ens.fr), The British Council Germany, and the DAAD. We also thank Lufthansa for their cooperation. The University of Copenhagen (T. Skavngaard, L. Vejby-Sogaard, and A. Dirksen) contributed to the discussions. This work was presented in part at ECR 2003.

Author information

Author notes

  1. E. J. R. van Beek

    Present address: Unit of Academic Radiology, Floor C, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Glossop Road, Sheffield, S10 2JF, UK

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Unit of Academic Radiology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK

    E. J. R. van Beek, J. M. Wild, M. N. J. Paley, S. Fichele, N. Woodhouse & A. Swift

  2. Institut für Physik, University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany

    J. Schmiedeskamp, F. Filbir, W. Heil, M. Wolf & E. Otten

  3. Department of Anaesthesiology, University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany

    F. Knitz

  4. Department of Anaesthesiology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK

    G. H. Mills

Authors
  1. E. J. R. van Beek
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. J. Schmiedeskamp
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. J. M. Wild
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. M. N. J. Paley
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. F. Filbir
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. S. Fichele
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. F. Knitz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. G. H. Mills
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. N. Woodhouse
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. A. Swift
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  11. W. Heil
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  12. M. Wolf
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  13. E. Otten
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to E. J. R. van Beek.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

van Beek, E.J.R., Schmiedeskamp, J., Wild, J.M. et al. Hyperpolarized 3-helium MR imaging of the lungs: testing the concept of a central production facility. Eur Radiol 13, 2583–2586 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-003-2094-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-003-2094-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation