Samuel Patz1, Iga Muradyan1,
Mikayel Dabaghyan1, Isabel Maria Dregely2, Mirko I.
Hrovat3, Hiroto Hatabu1, F William Hersman4,
Iulian C. Ruset4, James P. Butler5
1Department of Radiology, Brigham and
Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, United States; 2Department of
Physics, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, United States; 3Mirtech,
Inc, Brockton, MA, United States; 4Xemed, LLC, Durham, NH, United
States; 5Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of
Public Health, Boston, MA, United States
Alveolar
surface area is a key determinant of the severity of emphysema. Hence it is
important to obtain regional maps of this parameter in order to evaluate
disease heterogeneity. To accomplish this goal, we obtained 3D regional
measurements of alveolar surface area per unit volume by measuring the septal
uptake of hyperpolarized 129Xe. Single Breath XTC was used but 90
RF pulses were used for the selective tissue phase pulses rather than the
traditional 180 pulses.