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Posture-dependent Human3 He Lung Imaging in an Open-access MRI System

Posted May 31, 2008 Updated Apr 7, 2023
By Leo L. Tsai PhD , Ross W. Mair PhD , Chih-Hao Li PhD , Matthew S. Rosen PhD , Samuel Patz PhD , Ronald L. Walsworth PhD
15 min read

Rationale and Objectives

The human lung and its functions are extremely sensitive to orientation and posture, and debate continues as to the role of gravity and the surrounding anatomy in determining lung function and heterogeneity of perfusion and ventilation. However, study of these effects is difficult. The conventional high-field magnets used for most hyperpolarized 3 He magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the human lung, and most other common radiologic imaging modalities including positron emission tomography and computed tomography, restrict subjects to lying horizontally, minimizing most gravitational effects.

Materials and Methods

In this article, we review the motivation for posture-dependent studies of human lung function and present initial imaging results of human lungs in the supine and vertical body orientations using inhaled hyperpolarized 3 He gas and an open-access MRI instrument. The open geometry of this MRI system features a “walk-in” capability that permits subjects to be imaged in vertical and horizontal positions and potentially allows for complete rotation of the orientation of the imaging subject in a two-dimensional plane.

Results

Initial results include two-dimensional lung images acquired with ∼4 × 8 mm in-plane resolution and three-dimensional images with ∼2-cm slice thickness.

Conclusions

Effects of posture variation are observed, including posture-related effects of the diaphragm and distension of the lungs while vertical.

The effects of body orientation and posture changes on the regional distribution of pulmonary perfusion and ventilation have been a source of renewed interest in recent years ( ), principally because of significant questions relating to the care and survival of patients with obstructive or restrictive lung diseases such as acute respiratory distress syndrome ( ). Perfusion heterogeneity has classically been attributed to effects of gravity on pleural pressure and alveolar expansion, resulting in regional variations in lung function ( ). Position-dependent changes in ventilation dynamics also play an important role in a variety of common clinical problems ( ). Few methods exist that allow detailed studies of regional lung function under varying gravitational conditions—or subject orientations. Thus pulmonary physiology could benefit greatly from the development of minimally invasive methods to quantify regional lung function in subjects at variable orientations.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has only recently been recognized as a useful tool for pulmonary imaging. Chest radiography ( ) offers rapid, low-cost, high-resolution projection images with multiple subject orientations, but yields no quantitative information on gas exchange. Scintigraphy ( ) offers tomographic and quantitative information but uses relatively high and costly doses of nuclear tracers and suffers from poor resolution. Computed tomography provides superior anatomic detail with limited functional data ( ). Positron emission tomography (PET) and PET/computed tomography are used to directly measure pulmonary ventilation and perfusion and have provided the best regional quantitative detail thus far ( ), but subjects are restricted to prone or supine orientations.

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Background

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Experimental

Imager Design

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Figure 1, Photographs of the open-access human magnetic resonance imaging system. (a) The open-access imaging area, which allows reorientation of a subject. The gap between the two coils is 90 cm, with more than 2 meters of open space in the other two dimensions. The photograph shows the pair of main B 0 coils on their aluminum support flanges, with the gradient coils located parallel to each B 0 coil on additional supports bolted to the flanges. (b) The entire imager on its customized aluminum framework, located inside an RF-shielded room. Access to the imaging region from outside the room is straightforward.

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MRI Techniques

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Polarized 3 He Production and Delivery

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Human Imaging Protocol

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Figure 2, Subjects in the open-access human magnetic resonance imaging system. (a) Subject on the support table, ready for imaging in the supine position. The B 1 coil is slid into position with the aid of positional guides on the table, below the subject support bed. (b) Subject sitting on a wooden chair, ready for vertical orientation imaging. The B 1 coil is raised and lowered with a wooden support mechanism that allows easy positioning of the subject and ensures the coil returns to the correct position, independent of the subject.

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Results and discussion

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Figure 3, Two-dimensional projection 3 He human magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of human lungs, obtained using the open-access human MRI system, with subjects positioned as shown in Fig 2 . (a) Image obtained while the subject was lying horizontally in a supine orientation. (b) Image acquired while the subject was sitting vertically. Both images visualize the lungs as if looking at the subject from the front (ie, the subject's right lung lobe is on the left of the image). Imaging parameters: B 0 = 6.5 mT, Larmor frequency = 210 kHz, field of view = 50 cm, NEX = 1, flip angle = 5°, echo time/repetition time = 28.5/85.8 milliseconds. Data size = 128 × 64, zero-filled to 128 × 128, total scan time ∼4 seconds.

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Figure 4, Three-dimensional 3 He magnetic resonance image series of human lungs, obtained using the open-access human MRI system, with subject lying horizontally in a supine orientation. All planes visualize the lungs as if looking at the subject from the front (ie, the subject's right lung lobe is on the left of the image). Image planes represent slices ∼1.5-cm thick, and progress from anterior (#1) to posterior (#8) through that dataset. Imaging parameters: B 0 = 6.5 mT, Larmor frequency = 210 kHz, field of view = 50 × 50 × 12 cm, NEX = 1, flip angle = 4°, echo time/repetition time = 28.5/85.8 milliseconds. Data size = 128 × 64 × 6, zero-filled to 128 × 128 × 8, total scan time ∼30 seconds.

Figure 5, Three-dimensional 3 He magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) series of human lungs, obtained using the open-access human MRI system, with subject positioned vertically. Additional room air was not inhaled after 3 He inhalation, resulting in nonuniform 3 He distribution throughout the lung, and intense signal in the trachea and oral cavity. MRI signal below the diaphragm in each image, beside the plane number, is most likely from gas above the trachea and outside the top of the image field of view that was folded in to the bottom portion of the image. Image orientation, layout, and acquisition parameters are the same as for Fig 4 .

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Conclusion

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Acknowledgments

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