Enhancement of NMR and MRI in the presence of hyperpolarized noble gases

US6426058B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• The Regents of the University of California · US

Inventors

• Alexander Pines · Berkeley, US
• Thomas Budinger · Berkeley, US
• Gil Navon · Ramat Gan, IL
• Yi-Qiao Song · Ridgefield, US
• Stephan Appelt · Aachen, DE
• Angelo Bifone · Verona, IT
• Rebecca Taylor · Berkeley, US
• Boyd Goodson · Berkeley, US
• Roberto Seydoux · Volketswil, CH
• Toomas Room · Albany, US
• Tanja Pietrass · Socorro, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 28, 1997
• Grant date: Jul 30, 2002
• Expiry date: Mar 28, 2017

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10T436/24
• WIPO field: Pharmaceuticals
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

The present invention relates generally to nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques for both spectroscopy and imaging. More particularly, the present invention relates to methods in which hyperpolarized noble gases (e.g., Xe and He) are used to enhance and improve NMR and MRI. Additionally, the hyperpolarized gas solutions of the invention are useful both in vitro and in vivo to study the dynamics or structure of a system. When used with biological systems, either in vivo or in vitro, it is within the scope of the invention to target the hyperpolarized gas and deliver it to specific regions within the system.