32 research outputs found
Hyperpolarized Long-T1 Silicon Nanoparticles for Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Silicon nanoparticles are experimentally investigated as a potential
hyperpolarized, targetable MRI imaging agent. Nuclear T_1 times at room
temperature for a variety of Si nanoparticles are found to be remarkably long
(10^2 to 10^4 s) - roughly consistent with predictions of a core-shell
diffusion model - allowing them to be transported, administered and imaged on
practical time scales without significant loss of polarization. We also report
surface functionalization of Si nanoparticles, comparable to approaches used in
other biologically targeted nanoparticle systems.Comment: supporting material here:
http://marcuslab.harvard.edu/Aptekar_hyper1_sup.pd
Temperature-ramped 129Xe spin-exchange optical pumping
We describe temperature-ramped spin-exchange optical pumping (TR-SEOP) in an automated high-throughput batch-mode 129Xe hyperpolarizer utilizing three key temperature regimes: (i) âhotâwhere the 129Xe hyperpolarization rate is maximal, (ii) âwarmâ-where the 129Xe hyperpolarization approaches unity, and (iii) âcoolâ where hyperpolarized 129Xe gas is transferred into a Tedlar bag with low Rb content (<5 ng per âŒ1 L dose) suitable for human imaging applications. Unlike with the conventional approach of batch-mode SEOP, here all three temperature regimes may be operated under continuous high-power (170 W) laser irradiation, and hyperpolarized 129Xe gas is delivered without the need for a cryocollection step. The variable-temperature approach increased the SEOP rate by more than 2-fold compared to the constant-temperature polarization rate (e.g., giving effective values for the exponential buildup constant ÎłSEOP of 62.5 ± 3.7 Ă 10â3 minâ1 vs 29.9 ± 1.2 Ă 10â3 minâ1) while achieving nearly the same maximum %PXe value (88.0 ± 0.8% vs 90.1% ± 0.8%, for a 500 Torr (67 kPa) Xe cell loadingcorresponding to nuclear magnetic resonance/magnetic resonance imaging (NMR/MRI) enhancements of âŒ3.1 Ă 105 and âŒ2.32 Ă 108 at the relevant fields for clinical imaging and HP 129Xe production of 3 T and 4 mT, respectively); moreover, the intercycle âdeadâ time was also significantly decreased. The higher-throughput TR-SEOP approach can be implemented without sacrificing the level of 129Xe hyperpolarization
or the experimental stability for automation-making this approach beneficial for improving the overall 129Xe production rate in clinical settings
XeNA: an automated âopen-sourceâ 129Xe hyperpolarizer for clinical use
Here we provide a full report on the construction, components, and capabilities of our consortiumâs âopen-sourceâ large-scale (~ 1 L/h) 129Xe hyperpolarizer for clinical, pre-clinical, and materials NMR/MRI (Nikolaou et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 110, 14150 (2013)). The âhyperpolarizerâ is automated and built mostly of off-the-shelf components; moreover, it is designed to be cost-effective and installed in both research laboratories and clinical settings with materials costing less than $125,000. The device runs in the xenon-rich regime (up to 1800 Torr Xe in 0.5 L) in either stopped-flow or single-batch modeâmaking cryo-collection of the hyperpolarized gas unnecessary for many applications. In-cell 129Xe nuclear spin polarization values of ~ 30%â90% have been measured for Xe loadings of ~ 300â1600 Torr. Typical 129Xe polarization build-up and T1 relaxation time constants were ~ 8.5 min and ~ 1.9 h respectively under our spin-exchange optical pumping conditions; such ratios, combined with near-unity Rb electron spin polarizations enabled by the high resonant laser power (up to ~ 200 W), permit such high PXe values to be achieved despite the high in-cell Xe densities. Importantly, most of the polarization is maintained during efficient HP gas transfer to other containers, and ultra-long 129Xe relaxation times (up to nearly 6 h) were observed in Tedlar bags following transport to a clinical 3 T scanner for MR spectroscopy and imaging as a prelude to in vivo experiments. The device has received FDA IND approval for a clinical study of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease subjects. The primary focus of this paper is on the technical/engineering development of the polarizer, with the explicit goals of facilitating the adaptation of design features and operative modes into other laboratories, and of spurring the further advancement of HP-gas MR applications in biomedicine