IN-VIVO HE-3 MR-IMAGES OF GUINEA-PIG LUNGS

The authors imaged the lungs of live guinea pigs with hyperpolarized ( HP) helium-3 as a magnetic resonance (MR) signal source. HP He-3 gas p roduced through spin exchange with rubidium metal vapor was delivered through an MR-compatible, small-animal ventilator. Two- and three-dime nsional lung images acquired with ventilation-gated, radial k-space sa mpling showed complete ventilation of both lungs. All images were of h igh quality, demonstrating that HP He-3 allows high-signal-intensity M R imaging in living systems.