Standalone portable xenon-129 hyperpolariser for multicentre clinical magnetic resonance imaging of the lungs

Objectives Design and build a portable xenon-129 (Xe-129) hyperpolariser for clinically accessible Xe-129 lung MRI. Methods The polariser system consists of six main functional components: (i) a laser diode array and optics; (ii) a B o coil assembly; (iii) an oven containing an optical cell; (iv) NMR and optical spectrometers; (v) a gas-handling manifold; and (vi) a cryostat within a permanent magnet, All components run without external utilities such as compressed air or three-phase electricity, and require just three mains sockets for operation. The system can be manually transported in a lightweight van and rapidly installed on a small estates footprint in a hospital setting. Results The polariser routinely provides polarised Xe-129 for routine clinical lung MRI. To test the concept of portability and rapid deployment, it was transported 200 km, installed at a hospital with no previous experience with the technology and Xe-129 MR images of a diagnostic quality were acquired the day after system transport and installation. Conclusion This portable Xe-129 hyperpolariser system could form the basis of a cost-effective platform for wider clinical dissemination and multicentre evaluation of Xe-129 lung MR imaging. Advances in knowledge Our work successfully demonstrates the feasibility of multicentre clinical Xe-129 MRI with a portable hyperpolariser system.

Automated summary

In this study, a portable xenon-129 hyperpolariser system was designed and built for clinically accessible lung MRI. The system consists of six main components and can run without external utilities, allowing for easy transport and installation. The results show that the system can routinely provide polarised xenon-129 for clinical lung MRI, even after being transported and installed in a hospital with no previous experience with the technology.