Mark
David Lingwood1, 2, Ting Ann Siaw3, Napapon
Sailasuta4, Osama A. Abulseoud5, Henry R. Chan4,
Brian D. Ross4, Pratip Bhattacharya4, Songi Han1,
3
1Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States; 2Department of Chemistry, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, United States; 3Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States; 4Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Laboratory, Huntington Medical Research Institutes, Pasadena, CA, United States; 5Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
In this presentation we demonstrate a new perfusion MRI technique that utilizes Overhauser dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) to provide authentic image contrast through the continuous delivery of contrast agent-free hyperpolarized water in rats. Water is hyperpolarized via Overhauser DNP at room temperature in the 0.35 T fringe field of a 1.5 T MRI magnet and then quickly transferred to the subject in the center of the same magnet for imaging. Images with hyperpolarized water show clearly enhanced flow contrast for all injection locations, demonstrating that this technique holds promise for localized angiography or brain perfusion studies.