129Xe as an in Vivo Probe for MR Oximetry

General Leung¹, Graham Norquay¹, Jim M. Wild¹

MR oximetry with endogenous contrast can be confounded by physiological variations in the underlying signal. Exogenous agents can be useful, especially in regions such as the lungs, that suffers from low endogenous signal. This study explores the use of hyperpolarized 129Xe as an exogenous tracer of red blood cell oxygenation in human pulmonary vasculature.