Abstract #3997

Quantitative Multi-Breath Fractional Ventilation Imaging in Voluntarily Breathing Humans

Kiarash Emami¹, Hooman Hamedani¹, Biao Han¹, Yinan Xu¹, Stephen J. Kadlecek¹, Masaru Ishii², Rahim R. Rizi¹

¹Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States; ²Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States

The feasibility of performing multi-breath fractional ventilation hyperpolarized gas MRI in human subjects are demonstrated. This methodology is the first to report a quantitative measure of respiratory gas distribution and replacement in human lungs. The detailed mechanisms of gas transport in lungs with heterogeneous ventilation defects require further investigation to explain the reflections on fractional ventilation values before proper interpretation can be made. Nevertheless fractional ventilation can now be evaluated as a quantitative regional marker to investigate heterogeneous obstructive lung diseases.