Equilibration method for high resolution imaging of lung compliance and distribution of functional residual capacity
First Claim
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1. An equilibration method for very high resolution, three-dimensional imaging and determination of pulmonary compliance, wherein the method comprises:
- delivering and distributing a predetermined volume of hyperpolarized noble gas to conducting airways in each ventilated lung region of a pulmonary system, wherein the lung is inflated and sealed, or during a lung-inflating held breath (tidal volume);
measuring distributed volume of local concentrations of the hyperpolarized noble gas in the airways by high resolution, three-dimensional local magnetic resonance imaging, wherein the lung image is segmented using scale-based fuzzy connectedness; and
calculating local pulmonary compliance from said imaged distribution.
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Abstract
The present invention offers novel equilibration methods for very high resolution, three-dimensional imaging of imaging of lung compliance and distribution of functional residual capacity (FRC) in the lung using hyperpolarized helium-3 (3He) gas (H3He), and collecting local magnetic resonance image data therefrom. Using the present methods permits many functions that have been performed on a regional level for the whole lung using non-polarized helium, to be calculated for the first time from the local MRI measurements of local H3He, such as measuring volume or compliance.
9 Citations
24 Claims
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1. An equilibration method for very high resolution, three-dimensional imaging and determination of pulmonary compliance, wherein the method comprises:
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delivering and distributing a predetermined volume of hyperpolarized noble gas to conducting airways in each ventilated lung region of a pulmonary system, wherein the lung is inflated and sealed, or during a lung-inflating held breath (tidal volume); measuring distributed volume of local concentrations of the hyperpolarized noble gas in the airways by high resolution, three-dimensional local magnetic resonance imaging, wherein the lung image is segmented using scale-based fuzzy connectedness; and calculating local pulmonary compliance from said imaged distribution. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. An equilibration method for very high resolution, three-dimensional imaging and determination of lung functional residual capacity (FRC) using hyperpolarized noble gas, wherein the method comprises:
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delivering and distributing a predetermined volume of hyperpolarized noble gas to conducting airways in each ventilated lung region of a pulmonary system; measuring distributed volume of local concentrations of the hyperpolarized noble gas to provide local FRC by high resolution, three-dimensional local magnetic resonance imaging, wherein the lung image is segmented using scale-based fuzzy connectedness; and determining whole lung FRC based upon summation of the local FRC measurements. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An equilibration method for very high resolution, three-dimensional imaging and determination of pulmonary compliance and distribution of lung functional residual capacity (FRC) using hyperpolarized noble gas, wherein the method comprises:
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delivering and distributing a predetermined volume of hyperpolarized noble gas to conducting airways in each ventilated region of a pulmonary system, wherein the lung is inflated and sealed, or during a lung-inflating held breath (tidal volume); measuring distributed volume of local concentrations of the hyperpolarized noble gas in the airways by high resolution, three-dimensional local magnetic resonance imaging and local FRC, wherein the lung image is segmented using scale-based fuzzy connectedness; calculating local pulmonary compliance from said measured distribution; and determining whole lung FRC based upon summation of the local FRC measurements. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification