Ultra-Low-Cost Disposable Hand-Held Clinical-Scale Propane Gas Hyperpolarizer for Pulmonary Magnetic Resonance...

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Imaging
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
• Hyperpolarization Techniques

Background:

• Hyperpolarized magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents enable advanced functional imaging.
• Current hyperpolarized agents like Xenon-129 (Xe-129) require expensive, large, and complex equipment.
• Specialized MRI hardware is often needed, limiting clinical accessibility of Xe-129 MRI.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a low-cost, portable, and on-demand method for producing proton-hyperpolarized contrast agents.
• To demonstrate the feasibility of using proton-hyperpolarized propane gas for clinical-scale MRI.
• To overcome the limitations of current hyperpolarization technologies for widespread biomedical imaging applications.

Main Methods:

• Development of a disposable, hand-held hyperpolarizer utilizing parahydrogen-induced polarization.
• The device employs a catalytic reactor with propylene and parahydrogen precursors stored under pressure.
• On-demand production of proton-hyperpolarized propane gas through a flow-actuated process.

Main Results:

• Achieved robust production of proton-hyperpolarized propane with a polarization level of 1.2%.
• Demonstrated stable storage of the hyperpolarization precursor mixture for over 6 days.
• Successfully performed phantom imaging on a 3 T clinical MRI scanner and ventilation imaging on excised pig lungs using a 0.35 T scanner.

Conclusions:

• Proton-hyperpolarized propane produced by the novel device is a viable sensing agent for clinical MRI.
• The low-cost (<$35) and portable nature of the device significantly enhances accessibility for biomedical imaging.
• This technology presents a promising, cost-effective alternative to existing hyperpolarized agents like Xe-129.