Systems, methods, compositions and devices for in vivo magnetic resonance imaging of lungs using perfluorinated gas mixtures
First Claim
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1. A method of generating lung ventilation information of a subject, comprising:
- providing a pressurized canister of a medical grade gas mixture of perfluorinated gas and oxygen holding the medical grade mixture in a gaseous phase;
electronically obtaining a series of 19F magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images of lungs of a subject associated with an inhaled amount of the perfluorinated gas and oxygen mixture from the pressurized canister during wash in and wash out of the perfluorinated gas and oxygen mixture;
electronically obtaining 1H MRI images of the lungs of the subject before or after or before and after obtaining the series of 19F MRI images while the subject breathes room air;
electronically registering the obtained 19F MRI lung images to the obtained 1H MRI lung images of the subject;
electronically applying lung masks to the registered 19F images to define a perimeter of a lung cavity of a respective lung; and
thenelectronically evaluating summary parameters of different volumes of the registered 19F lung images after applying the lung masks to generate lung ventilation information that identifies regional lung ventilation defects including gas trapping,wherein the obtaining, registering, applying and evaluating steps are carried out using at least one processor.
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Abstract
Systems and methods for generating MRI images of the lungs and/or airways of a subject using a medical grade gas mixture comprises between about 20-79% inert perfluorinated gas and oxygen gas. The images are generated using acquired 19F magnetic resonance image (MRI) signal data associated with the perfluorinated gas and oxygen mixture.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method of generating lung ventilation information of a subject, comprising:
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providing a pressurized canister of a medical grade gas mixture of perfluorinated gas and oxygen holding the medical grade mixture in a gaseous phase; electronically obtaining a series of 19F magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images of lungs of a subject associated with an inhaled amount of the perfluorinated gas and oxygen mixture from the pressurized canister during wash in and wash out of the perfluorinated gas and oxygen mixture; electronically obtaining 1H MRI images of the lungs of the subject before or after or before and after obtaining the series of 19F MRI images while the subject breathes room air; electronically registering the obtained 19F MRI lung images to the obtained 1H MRI lung images of the subject; electronically applying lung masks to the registered 19F images to define a perimeter of a lung cavity of a respective lung; and
thenelectronically evaluating summary parameters of different volumes of the registered 19F lung images after applying the lung masks to generate lung ventilation information that identifies regional lung ventilation defects including gas trapping, wherein the obtaining, registering, applying and evaluating steps are carried out using at least one processor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of obtaining lung information of a subject, comprising:
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positioning a subject in a magnetic field associated with a high-field magnet of an MRI scanner; cyclically delivering, in vivo, via inhalation, a medical grade gas mixture and room air to the subject while the subject is in the magnetic field of the MRI scanner, wherein the medical grade gas mixture comprises between 20-79% inert perfluorinated gas and at least 20.5% oxygen gas obtained from a pressurized canister of the medical grade gas mixture, wherein the medical grade gas mixture is supplied at low pressure in the pressurized canister so that a dense gas component remains in a gaseous state under normal operating conditions of about 21 degrees C. and/or room temperature; electronically acquiring a series of 19F MRI lung space images associated with the inhalation of the cyclically delivered medical grade gas mixture and a series of 1H MRI lung images, wherein the series of 19F MRI lung space images includes images acquired while the subject breathes room air to obtain wash-out and/or gas trapping data associated with a deplenishing amount of the 19F MRI signal as the subject breathes room air, and wherein the series of 1H MRI lung images are acquired using the room air delivered to the subject before or after acquiring the series of 19F MRI lung space images or before and after acquiring the series of 19F MRI lung space images; registering the acquired 19F MRI lung images to the acquired 1H MRI lung images of the subject; applying lung masks to the registered 19FMRI images to define a perimeter of a lung cavity of a respective lung; and
thenevaluating summary parameters by slice of a plurality of different volumes of the registered 19FMRI lung images after applying the lung masks to generate lung ventilation information that identifies regional lung ventilation defects including gas trapping, wherein the acquiring, registering, applying and evaluating are carried out using at least one processor. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. An MRI system, comprising:
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an MRI scanner comprising a magnet with a magnetic field and at least one RF coil, the at least one RF coil being sized and configured to reside about lungs of a human patient; and a gas delivery system comprising; a pressurized canister of a medical grade gas mixture comprising perfluorinated gas in a level that is between 20-79% and oxygen gas in a level that is at least 20.5%, wherein the pressurized canister is at a sufficiently low pressure to hold the gas mixture in a gaseous state at room temperature; a gas flow path in communication with the pressurized canister of the medical grade gas mixture comprising at least one conduit extending from the canister to a free-breathing dispensing member adapted to reside over, on or in a respective patient while the patient resides inside the magnetic field to deliver the medical grade gas mixture; at least one oxygen sensor in communication with the gas flow path of the medical grade gas mixture; and at least one processor in communication with and/or onboard the MRI scanner, wherein the at least one processor; (i) obtains a series of 19F magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images of lungs of the patient associated with the medical grade gas mixture during wash in and wash out of the perfluorinated gas and oxygen mixture; (ii) obtains 1H MRI images of the lungs of the patient associated with room air inhaled by the patient before or after or before and after the series of 19F magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images of lungs of the patient are obtained; (iii) registers the obtained 19F MRI lung images to 1H MRI lung images of the patient; (iv) applies lung masks to the registered 19F images to define a perimeter of a lung cavity of a respective lung; and
then(v) evaluates summary parameters from a plurality of slices of a plurality of different volumes of the registered 19F lung images after the lung masks are applied to generate lung ventilation information that identifies regional lung ventilation defects including gas trapping. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
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Specification