Integrated volume-selective/spectral editing 1H NMR and postdetection signal processing for the sensitive...

A new volume selection/spectral editing pulse sequence (VOSING) is presented. The features specific to the technique are that the volume selection and the editing intervals coincide and that no decoupling is necessary. The pulse sequence can be applied under both homo- and heteronuclear conditions. Phantom experiments with lactate solutions and human serum led to water suppression factors of about 20,000. A postdetection signal processing method has been implemented. The final sensitivity for lactate determinations could thus be improved by a factor of more than 4. Ischemia-induced lactate could easily be detected in serum. At present, the lower detection limit of lactate is 1 mmol/liter for a (1.2 cm)3 voxel and 32 scans in a 4.7-T/40-cm magnet.