This study took advantage of the high polarization of MagniXene® to explore the dynamics of xenon uptake into the lung parenchyma and blood in rabbits. The Chemical Shift of xenon allows for distinguishing NMR frequencies between gas phase (GP) and dissolved phase (DP) and separating their MRI images (see Fig.1). Dr. Kai Ruppert and his colleagues explored the time evolution of the gas-exchange in rabbit lungs, in healthy subjects and a lung disease model. Employing a series of innovative pulse sequences and manipulating the dissolved phase NMR signal, the gas uptake and subsequent transport through the vasculature of the heart were studied. The technique is unique in providing critical information on the xenon exchange dynamics, which follows a pathway similar to that of oxygen. This technology has a high potential in determining underlying causes of lung diseases and characterizing lung function at the gas-exchange level.
References: Sci Rep. 2018; 8: 7310 . K. Ruppert et al. “Assessment of Pulmonary Gas Transport in Rabbits Using Hyperpolarized Xenon-129 Magnetic Resonance Imaging.”
Figure 1. Figure extracted from Kai et al. article and showing xenon dissolved in lung parenchyma, blood, and further downstream (arteries, heart). Depending on the selection of imaging parameters, different details of gas exchange and transport can be detected.