Oxygen-enhanced magnetic resonance ventilation imaging of the human lung at 0.2 and 1.5 T

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Abstract
Lung ventilation imaging using inhaled oxygen as a contrast medium was performed using both a 0.2 and a 1.5 T clinical magnetic resonance (MR) scanner in eight volunteers. Signal‐to‐noise‐ratios (SNRs) of the ventilation images as well as T1 values of the lung acquired with inhalation of 100% oxygen and room air were calculated. The SNR was 9.7 ± 3.0 on the 0.2 T MR system and 69.5 ± 28.8 on the 1.5 T system (P < 0.001). The mean T1 value on the 0.2 T MR system with subjects breathing room air was 632 ± 54 msec; with 100% oxygen, it was 586 ± 41 msec (P < 0.01). At 1.5 T, the mean values were 904 ± 99 msec and 790 ± 114 msec, respectively (P < 0.0001). We conclude that MR oxygen‐enhanced ventilation imaging of the lung is feasible with an open configured 0.2 T MR system. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 1999;9:838–841.