Use of .sup.19 F magnetic resonance to non-invasively assess pO.sub.2 and temperature in vivo

A method of non-invasively determining oxygen tension and temperature of tissue in a living mammalian subject, including the steps of:

• administering to a living mammalian subject a biologically compatible .sup.19 F-containing spectroscopy agent in an amount effective to generate a measurable .sup.19 F spectrum under .sup.19 F NMR spectroscopy, wherein the .sup.19 F-containing spectroscopy agent has at least two .sup.19 F resonances which can be detected simultaneously by .sup.19 F NMR spectroscopy;
• allowing sufficient time to elapse for substantially all of the .sup.19 F-containing spectroscopy agent to be cleared from the vascular system of the subject, with at least a portion of the .sup.19 F-containing spectroscopy agent becoming sequestered in tissue of the subject;
• subjecting tissue in which the .sup.19 F-containing spectroscopy agent has become sequestered to a .sup.19 F magnetic resonance spectroscopy procedure, in which simultaneous measurements are made of spin-lattice relaxation rates from the at least two .sup.19 F resonances of the .sup.19 F-containing spectroscopy agent;
• and
• comparing the at least two spin-lattice relaxation rates measured in the .sup.19 F magnetic resonance spectroscopy procedure to a predetermined relation of spin-lattice relaxation rate to oxygen tension and temperature for the .sup.19 F-containing spectroscopy agent used at the magnetic field used, and thereby simultaneously determining the oxygen tension and temperature of the tissue.