Xenon Contrast Agent
Xenon Contrast Agent - Related Videos
11:27
Preparation and In Vitro Characterization of Dendrimer-based Contrast Agents for Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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Cited by 5 •
2016
This protocol describes the preparation and characterization of a dendrimeric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent that carries cyclen-based macrocyclic chelates coordinating paramagnetic gadolinium ions. In a series of MRI experiments in vitro, this agent produced an amplified MRI signal when compared to the commercially available monomeric analogue.
16:20
Hyperpolarized Xenon for NMR and MRI Applications
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Cited by 28 •
2012
The production of hyperpolarized xenon by means of spin exchange optical pumping (SEOP) is described. This method yields a ~10000-fold enhancement of the nuclear spin polarization of Xe-129 and has applications in nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and imaging. Examples of gas phase and solution state experiments are given.
06:54
MR Molecular Imaging of Prostate Cancer with a Small Molecular CLT1 Peptide Targeted Contrast Agent
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Cited by 3 •
2013
To demonstrate MR cancer molecular imaging with a small peptide targeted MRI contrast agent specific to clotted plasma proteins in tumor stroma in a mouse prostate cancer model.
07:15
In vivo Macrophage Imaging Using MR Targeted Contrast Agent for Longitudinal Evaluation of Septic Arthritis
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Cited by 2 •
2013
We demonstrate how to perform macrophage MR imaging using ultrasmall superparamagnetic contrast agent (USPIO) in septic arthritis, allowing an initial and longitudinal in vivo non-invasive evaluation of macrophages infiltration and an assessment of therapy efficacy.
08:17
Validation of Hyperbaric Pressure System with Xenon Anesthesia for Drosophila melanogaster
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2026
Gases that seem harmless at atmospheric pressure can induce behaviors like narcosis under hyperbaric conditions. Conventional hyperbaric pressure chambers are costly and labor-intensive. This study presents a straightforward, low-cost method for examining xenon's effects on Drosophila melanogaster at moderate pressures below 4 atm.
FAQs
Spin-exchange optical pumping transfers angular-momentum polarization to xenon-129, creating a stronger magnetic resonance signal than the gas would otherwise provide. That enhanced signal allows an MRI system to track where inhaled xenon travels through the lungs and how much reaches surrounding tissue. For biomedical engineers, the pumping step is therefore central to making gas motion and gas exchange measurable rather than merely inferred.
Xenon’s signal can report both gas distribution and tissue interaction because the agent is observed while moving through air spaces and after dissolving into nearby tissues. These stages provide complementary information: the first reflects regional ventilation, whereas the second indicates gas exchange behavior. Combining them helps imaging systems reveal functional abnormalities that may not appear in structural images alone.
Conventional structural imaging primarily shows anatomy, while xenon-enhanced MRI adds a functional readout tied to ventilation and exchange. This distinction matters when regional pulmonary behavior is abnormal without an obvious structural change. In system design, the contrast agent therefore extends the information collected by MRI from location and form toward movement and interaction within the lung.
The workflow begins by producing hyperpolarized xenon-129 through spin-exchange optical pumping. A subject then inhales the prepared gas, and MRI detects its distribution as it moves through the lungs and dissolves into surrounding tissues. Image acquisition can consequently follow both regional ventilation and gas exchange, linking agent preparation to the physiological information ultimately measured.
Regional signal patterns can indicate how evenly air reaches different parts of the lungs and how effectively xenon interacts with surrounding tissue. This supports noninvasive assessment of pulmonary function and can expose abnormalities that conventional structural imaging may miss. The resulting measurements are useful when the research question concerns lung performance, not only the appearance of anatomical structures.
For biomedical engineering, the agent is valuable because its behavior can be tuned to report more than one stage of a physiological process. System developers can use the xenon signal to connect gas delivery, regional distribution, and tissue interaction within an MRI measurement. That capability supports development of advanced diagnostic imaging systems designed to capture functional information noninvasively.