Chapter 18: Hyperpolarized Xenon-129 Gas Uptake in the Human Lung and XTC MRI

Quantification of xenon-129 uptake and exchange between the alveolar airspaces and surrounding tissues permits the assessment of lung functional and physiological parameters that are inaccessible by other modalities. In this chapter we describe several of the MR spectroscopy and imaging tools that have been developed to perform such measurements using hyperpolarized xenon-129. Initial findings in healthy subjects, smokers, asthmatics, and COPD patients are presented, to illustrate the sensitivity of these tools to disease-related changes in lung physiology and function and to demonstrate their potential usefulness for clinical application.