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Abstract #2541

Long-Time-Scale Hyperpolarized 3He and 129Xe Diffusion in Human Lungs: Experimental Measurements and Computer Simulation

Chengbo Wang1, Talissa A. Altes1, John P. Mugler, III1,2, Eduard E. de Lange1, Kai Ruppert1, William F. Hersman3,4, Isabel M. Dregely3, Iulian Ruset, 3,4, Stephen Ketel4, Sylvia Verbanck5

1Radiology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States; 2Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States; 3Physics, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, United States; 4Xemed LLC, Durham, NH, United States; 5Respiratory Division, University Hospital UZ Brussel, Brussels, Belgium


Long-time-scale 3He and 129Xe diffusion was measured in human lungs and was found to strongly depend on the diffusion times. The computer simulation agreed well with experimental measurements using only the intra-acinar structure, suggesting that long-time-scale ADC was dominated by intra-acinar structure in the lung. The importance of the intra-acinar structure and collateral channels may vary with varying parameters such as tag wavelength. Intra- and interacinar collateral channels can lead to considerable relative ADC increases, suggesting that noble gas diffusion may be sensitive to mild degree of collateral channels which may occur in early smoking related lung disease.