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Updated: Apr 16, 2026

Hyperpolarized 13C Metabolic Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy and Imaging
Published on: December 30, 2016
Handheld electromagnet carrier for transfer of hyperpolarized carbon-13 samples
Hong Shang1,2, Timothy Skloss3, Cornelius von Morze1
1Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
Purpose:
Hyperpolarization of carbon-13 ((13) C) nuclei by dissolution dynamic nuclear polarization increases signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) by >10,000-fold for metabolic imaging, but care must be taken when transferring hyperpolarized (HP) samples from polarizer to MR scanner. Some (13) C substrates relax rapidly in low ambient magnetic fields. A handheld electromagnet carrier was designed and constructed to preserve polarization by maintaining a sufficient field during sample transfer.
Methods:
The device was constructed with a solenoidal electromagnet, powered by a nonmagnetic battery, holding the HP sample during transfer. A specially designed switch automated deactivation of the field once transfer was complete. Phantom and rat experiments were performed to compare MR signal enhancement with or without the device for HP [(13) C]urea and [1-(13) C]pyruvate.
Results:
The magnetic field generated by this device was tested to be >50 G over a 6-cm central section. In phantom and rat experiments, [(13) C]urea transported via the device showed SNR improvement by a factor of 1.8-1.9 over samples transferred through the background field.
Conclusion:
A device was designed and built to provide a suitably high yet safe magnetic field to preserve hyperpolarization during sample transfer. Comparative testing demonstrated SNR improvements of approximately two-fold for [(13) C]urea while maintaining SNR for [1-(13) C]pyruvate.
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