Zackary
1Center for In Vivo Microscopy, Duke University
Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States; 2Max Planck Institute
for Human Cognitive & Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany; 3Graduate
Program in Medical Physics, Duke University, Durham, United States
We demonstrate that 3D images of both ventilation and pulmonary perfusion can be acquired in rats using hyperpolarized 129Xe. To generate the perfusion images, 129Xe was infused into the blood using an extracorporeal circuit containing a hydrophobic membrane based, gas exchange module. The spatial resolution of these perfusion images (222 mm3) is similar to that obtained from conventional nuclear imaging modalities, but can be acquired with a five-fold advantage in temporal resolution. Thus, 129Xe MRI can be used to rapidly assess the distribution of ventilation and perfusion and will be useful in investigating animal models of acute lung disease.