Laura Schreiber1, Maxim Terekhov1,
Uschi Wolf2, Alexander Scholz1, Julien Rivoire1,
Rainer Kbrich3, Janet Friedrich1, Florian Meise1,
Sergej Karpuk4, Lars Krenkel5, Claus Wagner5
1Section of Medical
Physics, Johannes Gutenberg University Medical Center, Mainz, Germany; 2Department
of Radiology, Johannes Gutenberg University Medical Center, Mainz, Germany; 3Maquet
GmbH, Rastatt, Germany; 4Institute of Physics, Mainz University,
Mainz, Germany; 5Institute of Aerodynamics & Flow Technology,
German Aerospace Center, Gttingen, Germany
MRI during HFOV provides insight into slow and rapid gas transfer processes in the lung. Gas transfer processes are less effective at 10 Hz than at 5 Hz. Results of measurements with hyperpolarized 3He and C4F8 gas give similar results. Differences between the physical characteristics (e.g., density, viscosity, diffusion coefficient) of the contrast gases 3He and C4F8, when compared with those of the respiratory gases O2 and CO2, need to be considered in the interopretation of the results. In conclusion, contrast gas based MRI is a new tool to visualize and analyze intrapulmonary gas transport processes during artifical ventilation.