Equilibration method for high resolution imaging of lung compliance and distribution of functional residual capacity
AssigneeThe Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania
InventorsJames Baumgardner, David Lipson, Rahim Rizi, David Roberts, Mitchell Schnall
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Abstract
The present invention offers novel equilibration methods for very high resolution, three-dimensional imaging of imaging of lung compliance and distribution of functional residual capacity (FRC) in the lung using hyperpolarized helium-3 (3He) gas (H3He), and collecting local magnetic resonance image data therefrom. Using the present methods permits many functions that have been performed on a regional level for the whole lung using non-polarized helium, to be calculated for the first time from the local MRI measurements of local H3He, such as measuring volume or compliance.
Claims24
An equilibration method for very high resolution, three-dimensional imaging and determination of pulmonary compliance, wherein the method comprises:
- delivering and distributing a predetermined volume of hyperpolarized noble gas to conducting airways in each ventilated lung region of a pulmonary system, wherein the lung is inflated and sealed, or during a lung-inflating held breath (tidal volume);
- measuring distributed volume of local concentrations of the hyperpolarized noble gas in the airways by high resolution, three-dimensional local magnetic resonance imaging, wherein the lung image is segmented using scale-based fuzzy connectedness;
- and
- calculating local pulmonary compliance from said imaged distribution.
An equilibration method for very high resolution, three-dimensional imaging and determination of lung functional residual capacity (FRC) using hyperpolarized noble gas, wherein the method comprises:
- delivering and distributing a predetermined volume of hyperpolarized noble gas to conducting airways in each ventilated lung region of a pulmonary system;
- measuring distributed volume of local concentrations of the hyperpolarized noble gas to provide local FRC by high resolution, three-dimensional local magnetic resonance imaging, wherein the lung image is segmented using scale-based fuzzy connectedness;
- and
- determining whole lung FRC based upon summation of the local FRC measurements.
An equilibration method for very high resolution, three-dimensional imaging and determination of pulmonary compliance and distribution of lung functional residual capacity (FRC) using hyperpolarized noble gas, wherein the method comprises:
- delivering and distributing a predetermined volume of hyperpolarized noble gas to conducting airways in each ventilated region of a pulmonary system, wherein the lung is inflated and sealed, or during a lung-inflating held breath (tidal volume);
- measuring distributed volume of local concentrations of the hyperpolarized noble gas in the airways by high resolution, three-dimensional local magnetic resonance imaging and local FRC, wherein the lung image is segmented using scale-based fuzzy connectedness;
- calculating local pulmonary compliance from said measured distribution;
- and
- determining whole lung FRC based upon summation of the local FRC measurements.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.