Dissolution of laser-polarized xenon in benzene

The study of the dissolution of laser-polarized xenon in degassed deuterated benzene is reported. We show that the time evolution of the xenon signal implies that a transient convective process takes place. It is characterized by velocity-encoding magnetic resonance measurements and MRI experiments.     

Imaging of laser-polarized solid xenon

The enhanced spin polarization produced by optical pumping of gaseous rubidium/xenon samples has made possible a number of recent experiments in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Here we report MRI of laser-polarized xenon in the solid phase at low temperature. Due to the high xenon density in the solid phase and the enhanced spin polarization, it is possible to achieve high intensity and spatial resolution of the image. Signals were observed from xenon films solidified onto the glass container walls and not from an enclosed chili pepper.     

NMR study of the dissolution of laser-polarized xenon

NMR of laser-polarized xenon is used to probe the dissolution behaviour of the noble gas in different liquids. The dissolution and self-relaxation rates are extracted via a macroscopic model, and comparison of the decay rate of the xenon magnetization in deuterated and non-deuterated solvent pairs allows the determination of the pure dipole-dipole contribution to relaxation. A transient convective effect, tentatively assigned to the xenon concentration gradient, is observed and characterized by diffusion encoding MRI experiments. The flow of xenon penetrates inside the solvent near the walls of the NMR tube, the longitudinal images showing a “” shape, the transverse ones a “O” shape. This convection effect has implications for delivery conditions of laser-polarized xenon in continuous flow experiments and magnetic resonance imaging. Received 29 April 2002 / Received in final form 26 July 2002 Published online 22 October 2002 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: hdesvaux@cea.fr RID="b" ID="b"URA CNRS/CEA 331     

磁共振成像诊断术

利用人体组织中某种原子核的核磁共振现象所得射频信号，经电子计算机处理，重建人体某一层面的图像，并据此作出诊断。     

NMR detection using laser-polarized xenon as a dipolar sensor

Hyperpolarized (129)Xe can be used as a sensor to indirectly detect NMR spectra of heteronuclei that are neither covalently bound nor necessarily in direct contact with the Xe atoms, but coupled through long-range intermolecular dipole-dipole interactions. To reintroduce long-range dipolar couplings the sample symmetry has to be broken. This can be done either by using an asymmetric sample arrangement, or by breaking the symmetry of the spin magnetization with field gradient pulses. Experiments are performed where only a small fraction of the available (129)Xe magnetization is used for each point, so that a single batch of xenon suffices for the point-by-point acquisition of a heteronuclear NMR spectrum. Examples with (1)H as the analyte nucleus show that these methods have the potential to obtain spectra with a resolution that is high enough to determine homonuclear J couplings. The applicability of this technique with remote detection is discussed.     

High-field cross polarization NMR from laser-polarized xenon to surface nuclei

A method for NMR investigations of surface nuclei using cross polarization from optically polarized xenon (OPCP) is described. We find this methodology results in enhancement factors of approximately 10³ upon application to surface protons. The dynamics of¹²⁹Xe transfer to protons is examined in some detail, including the time, temperature, and multiple contact dependences of signal intensities. Furthermore, we discuss the sensitivity of the transfer process to spatial diffusion. Finally, we report on application of the OPCP experiment to a low total surface area sample.     

Applications of controlled-flow laser-polarized xenon gas to porous and granular media study

We report initial NMR studies of continuous flow laser-polarized xenon gas, both in unrestricted tubing, and in a model porous media. The study uses Pulsed Gradient Spin Echo-based techniques in the gas-phase, with the aim of obtaining more sophisticated information than just translational self-diffusion coefficients. Pulsed Gradient Echo studies of continuous flow laser-polarized xenon gas in unrestricted tubing indicate clear diffraction minima resulting from a wide distribution of velocities in the flow field. The maximum velocity experienced in the flow can be calculated from this minimum, and is seen to agree with the information from the complete velocity spectrum, or motion propagator, as well as previously published images. The susceptibility of gas flows to parameters such as gas mixture content, and hence viscosity, are observed in experiments aimed at identifying clear structural features from echo attenuation plots of gas flow in porous media. Gas-phase NMR scattering, or position correlation flow-diffraction, previously clearly seen in the echo attenuation data from laser-polarized xenon flowing through a 2 mm glass bead pack is not so clear in experiments using a different gas mixture. A propagator analysis shows most gas in the sample remains close to static, while a small portion moves through a presumably near-unimpeded path at high velocities.     

Magnetic resonance imaging features in melanoma

T1 and T2 relaxation time shortening secondary to paramagnetic compounds has been described in melanoma. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the signal behavior of melanoma involved in various body areas using short TR, TE and long TR, TE sequences. Twenty-seven sites of melanoma were evaluated with MR using T1 weighted and T2-weighted techniques. Using fat and muscle signal intensities as references tissues, lesions were graded into high, low or intermediate intensity categories for each of the sequences. Four signal patterns emerged. The typical pattern characterized by high signal on T1-weighted images and low signal on T2-weighted images reflected T1 and T2 shortening. The other pattern categories comprised of lesions demonstrating low signal T1-weighted images and high signal on T2-weighted images, high signal on both T1- and T2-weighted images and lesions showing intermediate signal on either T1- or T2-weighted images. We observed a tendency away from the typical signal pattern in extraocular melanoma cases with only one of 14 demonstrating this pattern. Moreover, only seven of thirteen ocular melanomas exhibited such behavior. Possible explanations for this findings as well as the existence of a variety of MR appearances to melanoma are offered. We conclude that while signal patterns showing T1 and T2 shortening are typical of melanoma, the absence of these does not exclude the diagnosis.