Xavier Matre1, Ralph Sinkus2, Roberta Santarelli1, Mathieu Sarracanie1, Rose-Marie Dubuisson1, Emeline Boriasse1, Emmanuel Durand1, Luc Darrasse1, Jacques Bittoun1
1Unit de Recherche en Rsonance Magntique Mdicale (UMR8081), Univ Paris-Sud, CNRS, Orsay, France; 2Laboratoire Ondes et Acoustique (UMR 7587), ESPCI, Univ Denis Diderot, CNRS, Paris, France
The viscoelastic properties of human tissue depend on its structures, biological conditions, and related pathologies. In the lung parenchyma, these properties participate in the basic function of the organ. They are dramatically altered by diseases like cancer, emphysema, asthma, or interstitial fibrosis. Besides tactual exploration, there is no other non-invasive technique to assess such changes. This work aims to produce a novel measurement tool based on magnetic resonance imaging of hyperpolarised helium-3 to monitor the mechanical properties of the lung, which allow mapping of its compliance and relating it to pathology. We demonstrate its feasibility in vivo.