Hyperpolarized H2O MR Angiography

Purpose The aim of this study was to demonstrate that dissolution- dynamic nuclear polarization is capable of hyperpolarizing water protons and that the signal from the hyperpolarized bolus injection can be exploited in angiographic applications. MethodsWe hyperpolarized water/glycerol using dynamic nuclear polarization followed by dissolution in D2O. ResultsA water H-1 signal enhancement of 77 times compared with 4.7 Tesla was obtained. This corresponds to a polarization of 3.5% for the 3.9 mol/L H-1 in D2O . Moreover, a T-1 in excess of 20 s was achieved. ConclusionThe use of hyperpolarized water as a contrast agent presents a new opportunity to obtain MRA images with high contrast-to-noise in a fraction of a second. Magn Reson Med 71:50-56, 2014. (c) 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.