CA2324269C — Mr methods for imaging pulmonary and cardiac vasculature and evaluating blood flow using dissolved polarized 129xe

USPTO Abstract

MR spectroscopy and imaging methods for imaging pulmonary and cardiac vasculature and the cardiac region and evaluating blood flow or circulatory deficits use dissolved phase polarized 129Xe gas and large flip angle excitation pulses. Pulmonary and cardiac vasculature MRI images are obtained by delivering gas to a patient via inhalation such as with a breath-hold delivery-procedure, exciting the dissolved phase gas with a large flip angle pulse, and generating a corresponding image. Preferably, the image is obtained using multi-echo imaging techniques. Blood flow is quantified using low field MR spectroscopy and an RF excitation pulse with a frequency which corresponds to the resonance of the dissolved phase 129Xe.