Helium-3 diffusion MR imaging of the human lung over multiple time scales.
OBJECTIVE
Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with hyperpolarized (3)He gas is a powerful technique for probing the characteristics of the lung microstructure. A key parameter for this technique is the diffusion time, which is the period during which the atoms are allowed to diffuse within the lung for measurement of the signal attenuation. The relationship between diffusion time and the length scales that can be explored is discussed, and representative, preliminary results are presented from ongoing studies of the human lung for diffusion times ranging from milliseconds to several seconds.


METHODS
(3)He diffusion MRI of the human lung was performed on a 1.5T Siemens Sonata scanner. Using gradient echo-based and stimulated echo-based techniques for short and medium-to-long diffusion times, respectively, measurements were performed for times ranging from 2 milliseconds to 6.5 seconds in two healthy subjects, a subject with subclinical chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and a subject with bronchopulmonary dysplasia.


RESULTS
In healthy subjects, the apparent diffusion coefficient decreased by about 10-fold, from approximately 0.2 to 0.02 cm(2)/second, as the diffusion time increased from approximately 1 millisecond to 1 second. Results in subjects with disease suggest that measurements made at diffusion times substantially longer than 1 millisecond may provide improved sensitivity for detecting certain pathologic changes in the lung microstructure.


CONCLUSIONS
With appropriately designed pulse sequences it is possible to explore the diffusion of hyperpolarized (3)He in the human lung over more than a 1,000-fold variation of the diffusion time. Such measurements provide a new opportunity for exploring and characterizing the microstructure of the healthy and diseased lung.
Mugler
John P
JP
Center for In-vivo Hyperpolarized Gas MR Imaging, Department of Radiology, Box 801339, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA. John.Mugler@virginia.edu
Wang
Chengbo
C
Miller
G Wilson
GW
Cates
Gordon D
GD
Mata
Jaime F
JF
Brookeman
James R
JR
de Lange
Eduard E
EE
Altes
Talissa A
TA
D000368:Aged; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006371:Helium; D006801:Humans; D007554:Isotopes; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011653:Pulmonary Diffusing Capacity / Q000502:physiology; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D013997:Time Factors
D007554:Isotopes; D006371:Helium