Portable hyperpolarized gas monitoring systems, computer program products, and related methods using NMR and/or MRI during transport

A portable monitoring system for determining the polarization level of a quantity of hyperpolarized gas product in transit using NMR and/or MRI, comprising:

• positioning a NMR coil proximate to a quantity of hyperpolarized gas-based product, the NMR coil and hyperpolarized gas-based product being packaged for movement;
• transporting the quantity of hyperpolarized gas-based product with the NMR coil from a first site to a second site remote from the first site after said positioning step;
• transmitting an excitation pulse to the NMR coil to excite a small amount of the hyperpolarized gas-based product during said transporting step;
• receiving an electrical NMR and/or MR based response signal associated with the hyperpolarized gas-based product corresponding to said transmitting step during said transporting step;
• and
• analyzing the response signal to determine the polarization level of the hyperpolarized gas product during said transporting step.

A computer program product for monitoring and/or determining the polarization level of hyperpolarized noble gas in transit using NMR and/or MRI, the computer program product comprising:

• a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code means embodied in said medium, said computer readable program code means comprising:
• computer readable program code means for selecting an excitation pulse;
• computer readable program code means for transmitting the selected excitation pulse to a quantity of hyperpolarized gas held in a transport container via an NMR coil positioned proximate thereto while the hyperpolarized gas is in transit to a use site;
• computer readable program code means for analyzing a received NMR and/or MR signal associated with the response of the hyperpolarized noble gas product to the excitation pulse while the hyperpolarized gas is in transit to a use site;
• computer readable program code means for adjusting the received response signal such that it more accurately corresponds to the hyperpolarization level of the hyperpolarized gas;
• and
• computer readable program code means for determining the polarization level of the hyperpolarized gas in transit and/or subsequent thereto.

A portable system for monitoring hyperpolarized gas during transit and/or transit and storage using NMR and/or MRI, comprising:

• a portable transport unit configured to hold a quantity of hyperpolarized gas in a container held therein;
• a NMR coil configured and sized to be positioned in said portable transport unit such that it is proximate to the quantity of hyperpolarized gas;
• a pulse generator operably associated with said NMR coil for generating an excitation pulse to a portion of the hyperpolarized gas;
• transmit means operably associated with said pulse generator and said NMR coil for transmitting the excitation pulse to the hyperpolarized gas;
• receive means operably associated with said NMR coil for receiving a NMR and/or MR response signal corresponding to the response of the hyperpolarized gas to the transmitted excitation pulse;
• and
• a signal analyzer operably associated with said receive means, said analyzer including a computer readable program code means for determining the polarization level of the hyperpolarized gas;
• wherein said NMR coil, said transport unit, said pulse generator, and said transmit and receive means are configured to be operative so as to receive the response signal during transport or transport and storage of the hyperpolarized gas away from the original polarization site and away from the patient hyperpolarized gas delivery location.