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Kelley M, Bryden N, Atalla SW, Branca RT. Background-Free Detection of Spin-Exchange Dynamics at Ultra-Low Magnetic Field. Chemphyschem 2023; 24:e202300284. [PMID: 37449974 PMCID: PMC11017664 DOI: 10.1002/cphc.202300284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Ultra-low field nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) and imaging (MRI) inherently suffer from a low signal-to-noise ratio due to the small thermal polarization of nuclear spins. Transfer of polarization from a pre-polarized spin system to a thermally polarized spin system via the Spin Polarization Induced Nuclear Overhauser Effect (SPINOE) could potentially be used to overcome this limitation. SPINOE is particularly advantageous at ultra-low magnetic field, where the transferred polarization can be several orders of magnitude higher than thermal polarization. Here we demonstrate direct detection of polarization transfer from highly polarized 129 Xe gas spins to 1 H spins in solution via SPINOE. At ultra-low field, where thermal nuclear spin polarization is close to background noise levels and where different nuclei can be simultaneously detected in a single spectrum, the dynamics of the polarization transfer can be observed in real time. We show that by simply bubbling hyperpolarized 129 Xe into solution, we can enhance 1 H polarization levels by a factor of up to 151-fold. While our protocol leads to lower enhancements than those previously reported under extreme Xe gas pressures, the methodology is easily repeatable and allows for on-demand enhanced spectroscopy. SPINOE at ultra-low magnetic field could also be employed to study 129 Xe interactions in solutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michele Kelley
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Nicholas Bryden
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
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2
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Molway MJ, Bales-Shaffer L, Ranta K, Ball J, Sparling E, Prince M, Cocking D, Basler D, Murphy M, Kidd BE, Gafar AT, Porter J, Albin K, Rosen MS, Chekmenev EY, Michael Snow W, Barlow MJ, Goodson BM. Dramatic improvement in the "Bulk" hyperpolarization of 131Xe via spin exchange optical pumping probed using in situ low-field NMR. JOURNAL OF MAGNETIC RESONANCE (SAN DIEGO, CALIF. : 1997) 2023; 354:107521. [PMID: 37487304 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmr.2023.107521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Revised: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023]
Abstract
We report on hyperpolarization of quadrupolar (I=3/2) 131Xe via spin-exchange optical pumping. Observations of the 131Xe polarization dynamics via in situ low-field NMR show that the estimated alkali-metal/131Xe spin-exchange rates can be large enough to compete with 131Xe spin relaxation. 131Xe polarization up to 7.6±1.5% was achieved in ∼8.5×1020 spins-a ∼100-fold improvement in the total spin angular momentum-potentially enabling various applications, including: measurement of spin-dependent neutron-131Xe s-wave scattering; sensitive searches for time-reversal violation in neutron-131Xe interactions beyond the Standard Model; and surface-sensitive pulmonary MRI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Molway
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Sciences, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale 62901, IL, USA
| | - Liana Bales-Shaffer
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Sciences, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale 62901, IL, USA
| | - Kaili Ranta
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Sciences, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale 62901, IL, USA
| | - James Ball
- School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK
| | - Eleanor Sparling
- School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK
| | - Mia Prince
- School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK
| | - Daniel Cocking
- School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK
| | - Dustin Basler
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Sciences, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale 62901, IL, USA
| | - Megan Murphy
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Sciences, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale 62901, IL, USA
| | - Bryce E Kidd
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Sciences, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale 62901, IL, USA
| | - Abdulbasit Tobi Gafar
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Sciences, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale 62901, IL, USA
| | - Justin Porter
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Sciences, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale 62901, IL, USA
| | - Kierstyn Albin
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Sciences, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale 62901, IL, USA
| | - Matthew S Rosen
- A.A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston 02129, MA, USA; Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge 02138, MA, USA
| | - Eduard Y Chekmenev
- Department of Chemistry, Integrative Biosciences (Ibio), Karmanos Cancer Institute (KCI), Wayne State University, Detroit 48202, MI, USA; Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninskiy Prospekt 14, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - W Michael Snow
- Department of Physics, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Michael J Barlow
- School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK
| | - Boyd M Goodson
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Sciences, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale 62901, IL, USA.
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3
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Bryden N, Atalla SW, Kelley M, Holmes LR, Branca RT. Enhanced 129 Xe T 1 relaxation in whole blood and in the presence of SPIONs at low magnetic field strengths. Magn Reson Med 2023; 90:21-33. [PMID: 36797796 PMCID: PMC10963042 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.29619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To compare the effect of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) on the T1 of 129 Xe and 1 H and to measure the relaxation of 129 Xe in blood at low and high magnetic field strengths. METHODS 129 Xe and 1 H T1 relaxometry was performed at low- and high-field strengths in samples containing different SPION concentrations, while imaging was used to compare the contrast obtainable in these two field regimes. In vivo experiments at variable field strengths were performed to determine the depolarization of 129 Xe in blood and the feasibility of in vivo dissolved-phase spectroscopy and imaging at low field. RESULTS The SPION relaxivity was substantially greater at low field for 1 H, increasing from 0.92 ± 0.06 mM s-1 at 11.7T to 31.5 ± 1.8 mM s-1 at 0.6 mT, and for 129 Xe, which increased from 0.13 ± 0.03 mM s-1 at 11.7T to 7.32 ± 0.71 mM s-1 at 2.1 mT. The additional MR signal loss increased from 0.7% at 9.4T to 20.6 ± 4.2% at 0.6 mT for 1 H and from -0.7 ± 3.4% at 9.4T to 12.7 ± 3.5% at 2.1 mT for 129 Xe. Blood was found to depolarize 129 Xe below 3T in a manner inversely proportional to the field strength. In vitro studies at 2.1 mT suggest 129 Xe relaxation times below 5 s in blood dilutions as low as 0.4% volume. CONCLUSION SPIONs longitudinal relaxivity increases at low field both for 1 H and 129 Xe. The depolarization of xenon in blood, which is found to increase below 3T, effectively prevents in vivo dissolved-phase spectroscopy and imaging at low-field strengths.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Bryden
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Biomedical Research Imaging Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Sebastian W Atalla
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Biomedical Research Imaging Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Michele Kelley
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Biomedical Research Imaging Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Leah R Holmes
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Biomedical Research Imaging Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Rosa T Branca
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Biomedical Research Imaging Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
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4
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Bryden N, McHugh CT, Kelley M, Branca RT. Longitudinal nuclear spin relaxation of 129 Xe in solution and in hollow fiber membranes at low and high magnetic field strengths. Magn Reson Med 2022; 88:2005-2013. [PMID: 35726363 PMCID: PMC9420755 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.29362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To measure dissolved-phase 129 Xe T1 values at high and low magnetic fields and the field dependence of 129 Xe depolarization by hollow fiber membranes used to infuse hyperpolarized xenon in solution. METHODS Dissolved-phase T1 measurements were made at 11.7T and 2.1 mT by bubbling xenon in solution and by using a variable delay to allow spins to partially relax back to thermal equilibrium before probing their magnetization. At high field, relaxation values were compared to those obtained by using the small flip angle method. For depolarization studies, we probed the magnetization of the polarized gas diffusing through an exchange membrane module placed at different field strengths. RESULTS Total loss of polarization was observed for xenon diffusing through hollow fiber membranes at low field, while significant polarization loss (>20%) was observed at magnetic fields up to 2T. Dissolved-phase 129 Xe T1 values were found consistently shorter at 2.1 mT compared to 11.7T. In addition, both O2 and Xe gas concentrations in solution were found to significantly affect dissolved-phase 129 Xe T1 values. CONCLUSION Dissolved-phase 129 Xe measurements are feasible at low field, but to assess the feasibility of in vivo dissolved-phase imaging and spectroscopy the T1 of xenon in blood will need to be measured. Both O2 and Xe concentrations in solution are found to greatly affect dissolved-phase 129 Xe T1 values and may explain, along with RF miscalibration, the large discrepancy in previously reported results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Bryden
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Biomedical Research Imaging Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Christian T McHugh
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Biomedical Research Imaging Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Michele Kelley
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Biomedical Research Imaging Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Rosa T Branca
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Biomedical Research Imaging Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
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5
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Stäglich R, Kemnitzer TW, Harder MC, Schmutzler A, Meinhart M, Keenan CD, Rössler EA, Senker J. Portable Hyperpolarized Xe-129 Apparatus with Long-Time Stable Polarization Mediated by Adaptable Rb Vapor Density. J Phys Chem A 2022; 126:2578-2589. [PMID: 35420816 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.2c00891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The extraordinary sensitivity of 129Xe, hyperpolarized by spin-exchange optical pumping, is essential for magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy in life and materials sciences. However, fluctuations of the polarization over time still limit the reproducibility and quantification with which the interconnectivity of pore spaces can be analyzed. Here, we present a polarizer that not only produces a continuous stream of hyperpolarized 129Xe but also maintains stable polarization levels on the order of hours, independent of gas flow rates. The polarizer features excellent magnetization production rates of about 70 mL/h and 129Xe polarization values on the order of 40% at moderate system pressures. Key design features include a vertically oriented, large-capacity two-bodied pumping cell and a separate Rb presaturation chamber having its own temperature control, independent of the main pumping cell oven. The separate presaturation chamber allows for precise control of the Rb vapor density by restricting the Rb load and varying the temperature. The polarizer is both compact and transportable─making it easily storable─and adaptable for use in various sample environments. Time-evolved two-dimensional (2D) exchange spectra of 129Xe absorbed in the microporous metal-organic framework CAU-1-AmMe are presented to highlight the quantitative nature of the device.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Stäglich
- Inorganic Chemistry III and Northern Bavarian NMR Centre, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Tobias W Kemnitzer
- Inorganic Chemistry III and Northern Bavarian NMR Centre, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Marie C Harder
- Inorganic Chemistry III and Northern Bavarian NMR Centre, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Adrian Schmutzler
- Inorganic Chemistry III and Northern Bavarian NMR Centre, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Marcel Meinhart
- Inorganic Chemistry III and Northern Bavarian NMR Centre, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Caroline D Keenan
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Carson-Newman University, 1645 Russel Avenue, Jefferson City, Tennessee 37760, United States
| | - Ernst A Rössler
- Inorganic Chemistry III and Northern Bavarian NMR Centre, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Jürgen Senker
- Inorganic Chemistry III and Northern Bavarian NMR Centre, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
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6
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Pilot Quality-Assurance Study of a Third-Generation Batch-Mode Clinical-Scale Automated Xenon-129 Hyperpolarizer. MOLECULES (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 27:molecules27041327. [PMID: 35209116 PMCID: PMC8879294 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27041327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2021] [Revised: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
We present a pilot quality assurance (QA) study of a clinical-scale, automated, third-generation (GEN-3) 129Xe hyperpolarizer employing batch-mode spin-exchange optical pumping (SEOP) with high-Xe densities (50% natural abundance Xe and 50% N2 in ~2.6 atm total pressure sourced from Nova Gas Technologies) and rapid temperature ramping enabled by an aluminum heating jacket surrounding the 0.5 L SEOP cell. 129Xe hyperpolarization was performed over the course of 700 gas loading cycles of the SEOP cell, simulating long-term hyperpolarized contrast agent production in a clinical lung imaging setting. High levels of 129Xe polarization (avg. %PXe = 51.0% with standard deviation σPXe = 3.0%) were recorded with fast 129Xe polarization build-up time constants (avg. Tb = 25.1 min with standard deviation σTb = 3.1 min) across the first 500 SEOP cell refills, using moderate temperatures of 75 °C. These results demonstrate a more than 2-fold increase in build-up rate relative to previously demonstrated results in a comparable QA study on a second-generation (GEN-2) 129Xe hyperpolarizer device, with only a minor reduction in maximum achievable %PXe and with greater consistency over a larger number of SEOP cell refill processes at a similar polarization lifetime duration (avg. T1 = 82.4 min, standard deviation σT1 = 10.8 min). Additionally, the effects of varying SEOP jacket temperatures, distribution of Rb metal, and preparation and operation of the fluid path are quantified in the context of device installation, performance optimization and maintenance to consistently produce high 129Xe polarization values, build-up rates (Tb as low as 6 min) and lifetimes over the course of a typical high-throughput 129Xe polarization SEOP cell life cycle. The results presented further demonstrate the significant potential for hyperpolarized 129Xe contrast agent in imaging and bio-sensing applications on a clinical scale.
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7
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McHugh CT, Durham PG, Kelley M, Dayton PA, Branca RT. Magnetic Resonance Detection of Gas Microbubbles via HyperCEST: A Path Toward Dual Modality Contrast Agent. Chemphyschem 2021; 22:1219-1228. [PMID: 33852753 PMCID: PMC8494452 DOI: 10.1002/cphc.202100183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Revised: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Gas microbubbles are an established clinical ultrasound contrast agent. They could also become a powerful magnetic resonance (MR) intravascular contrast agent, but their low susceptibility-induced contrast requires high circulating concentrations or the addition of exogenous paramagnetic nanoparticles for MR detection. In order to detect clinical in vivo concentrations of raw microbubbles via MR, an alternative detection scheme must be used. HyperCEST is an NMR technique capable of indirectly detecting signals from very dilute molecules (concentrations well below the NMR detection threshold) that exchange hyperpolarized 129 Xe. Here, we use quantitative hyperCEST to show that microbubbles are very efficient hyperCEST agents. They can accommodate and saturate millions of 129 Xe atoms at a time, allowing for their indirect detection at concentrations as low as 10 femtomolar. The increased MR sensitivity to microbubbles achieved via hyperCEST can bridge the gap for microbubbles to become a dual modality contrast agent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian T. McHugh
- Department of Physics & Astronomy, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
- Biomedical Research Imaging Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
| | - Phillip G. Durham
- Department of Pharmacoengineering and Molecular Pharmaceutics, The University of North arolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
| | - Michele Kelley
- Department of Physics & Astronomy, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
- Biomedical Research Imaging Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
| | - Paul A. Dayton
- Biomedical Research Imaging Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
| | - Rosa T. Branca
- Department of Physics & Astronomy, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
- Biomedical Research Imaging Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
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8
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Marshall H, Stewart NJ, Chan HF, Rao M, Norquay G, Wild JM. In vivo methods and applications of xenon-129 magnetic resonance. PROGRESS IN NUCLEAR MAGNETIC RESONANCE SPECTROSCOPY 2021; 122:42-62. [PMID: 33632417 PMCID: PMC7933823 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnmrs.2020.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Revised: 11/26/2020] [Accepted: 11/29/2020] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Hyperpolarised gas lung MRI using xenon-129 can provide detailed 3D images of the ventilated lung airspaces, and can be applied to quantify lung microstructure and detailed aspects of lung function such as gas exchange. It is sensitive to functional and structural changes in early lung disease and can be used in longitudinal studies of disease progression and therapy response. The ability of 129Xe to dissolve into the blood stream and its chemical shift sensitivity to its local environment allow monitoring of gas exchange in the lungs, perfusion of the brain and kidneys, and blood oxygenation. This article reviews the methods and applications of in vivo129Xe MR in humans, with a focus on the physics of polarisation by optical pumping, radiofrequency coil and pulse sequence design, and the in vivo applications of 129Xe MRI and MRS to examine lung ventilation, microstructure and gas exchange, blood oxygenation, and perfusion of the brain and kidneys.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen Marshall
- POLARIS, Imaging Sciences, Department of Infection, Immunity and Cardiovascular Disease, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Neil J Stewart
- POLARIS, Imaging Sciences, Department of Infection, Immunity and Cardiovascular Disease, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Ho-Fung Chan
- POLARIS, Imaging Sciences, Department of Infection, Immunity and Cardiovascular Disease, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Madhwesha Rao
- POLARIS, Imaging Sciences, Department of Infection, Immunity and Cardiovascular Disease, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Graham Norquay
- POLARIS, Imaging Sciences, Department of Infection, Immunity and Cardiovascular Disease, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Jim M Wild
- POLARIS, Imaging Sciences, Department of Infection, Immunity and Cardiovascular Disease, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom.
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9
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Plummer JW, Emami K, Dummer A, Woods JC, Walkup LL, Cleveland ZI. A semi-empirical model to optimize continuous-flow hyperpolarized 129Xe production under practical cryogenic-accumulation conditions. JOURNAL OF MAGNETIC RESONANCE (SAN DIEGO, CALIF. : 1997) 2020; 320:106845. [PMID: 33070086 PMCID: PMC7655637 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmr.2020.106845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2020] [Revised: 10/02/2020] [Accepted: 10/04/2020] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Continuous-flow spin exchange optical pumping (SEOP) with cryogenic accumulation is a powerful technique to generate multiple, large volumes of hyperpolarized (HP) 129Xe in rapid succession. It enables a range of studies, from dark matter tracking to preclinical and clinical MRI. Multiple analytical models based on first principles atomic physics and device-specific design features have been proposed for individual processes within HP 129Xe production. However, the modeling efforts have not yet integrated all the steps involved in practical, large volume HP 129Xe production process (e.g., alkali vapor generation, continuous-flow SEOP, and cryogenic accumulation). Here, we use a simplified analytical model that couples both SEOP and cryogenic accumulation, incorporating only two system-specific empirical parameters: the longitudinal relaxation time of the polycrystalline 129Xe "snow', T1snow, generated during cryogenic accumulation, and 2) the average Rb density during active, continuous-flow polarization. By fitting the model to polarization data collected from >140 L of 129Xe polarized across a range of flow and volume conditions, the estimates for Rb density and T1snow were 1.6 ± 0.1 × 1013 cm-3 and 84 ± 5 min, respectively - each notably less than expected based on previous literature. Together, these findings indicate that 1) earlier polarization predictions were hindered by miscalculated Rb densities, and 2) polarization is not optimized by maximizing SEOP efficiency with a low concentration 129Xe, but rather by using richer 129Xe-buffer gas blends that enable faster accumulation. Accordingly, modeling and experimentation revealed the optimal fraction of 129Xe, f, in the 129Xe-buffer gas blend was ~2%. Further, if coupled with modest increases in laser power, the model predicts liter volumes of HP 129Xe with polarizations exceeding 60% could be generated routinely in only tens of minutes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph W Plummer
- Center for Pulmonary Imaging Research, Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | | | | | - Jason C Woods
- Center for Pulmonary Imaging Research, Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States; Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Laura L Walkup
- Center for Pulmonary Imaging Research, Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States; Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Zackary I Cleveland
- Center for Pulmonary Imaging Research, Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States; Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States.
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10
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Bier EA, Nouls JC, Wang Z, He M, Schrank G, Morales-Medina N, Hashoian R, Svetlik H, Mugler JP, Driehuys B. A thermally polarized 129 Xe phantom for quality assurance in multi-center hyperpolarized gas MRI studies. Magn Reson Med 2019; 82:1961-1968. [PMID: 31218753 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.27836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2019] [Revised: 04/24/2019] [Accepted: 05/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Hyperpolarized 129 Xe MR is increasingly being adopted worldwide, but no standards exist for assessing or comparing performance at different 129 Xe imaging centers. Therefore, we sought to develop a thermally polarized xenon phantom assembly, approximating the size of a human torso, along with an associated imaging protocol to enable rapid quality-assurance imaging. METHODS MR-compatible pressure vessels, with an internal volume of 5.85 L, were constructed from pressure-rated, engineering grade PE4710 high-density polyethylene. They were filled with a mixture of 61% natural xenon and 39% oxygen to approximately 11.6 bar and placed in a loader shell filled with a 0.56% saline solution to mimic the human chest. Imaging employed a 2D spoiled gradient-echo sequence using non-slice-selective excitation (TR/TE = 750/6.13 ms, flip angle = 74°, FOV = 40 × 440 mm, matrix = 64 × 32, bandwidth = 30 Hz/pixel, averages = 4), resulting in a 1.6 min acquisition. System characterization and imaging were performed at 8 different MRI centers. RESULTS At 3 Telsa, 129 Xe in the pressure vessels was characterized by T1 = 580.5 ± 8.3 ms, linewidth = 0.21 ppm, and chemical shift = +10.2 ppm. The phantom assembly was used to obtain transmit voltage calibrations and 2D and 3D images across multiple coil and scanner configurations at 8 sites. Across the 5 sites that employed a standard flexible chest coil, the SNR was 12.4 ± 1.8. CONCLUSION The high-density polyethylene pressure vessels filled with thermally polarized xenon and associated loader shell combine to form a phantom assembly that enables spectroscopic and imaging acquisitions that can be used for testing, quality assurance, and performance tracking-capabilities essential for standardizing hyperpolarized 129 Xe MRI within and across institutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elianna A Bier
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.,Center for In Vivo Microscopy, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | - John C Nouls
- Center for In Vivo Microscopy, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina.,Department of Radiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Ziyi Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.,Center for In Vivo Microscopy, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Mu He
- Center for In Vivo Microscopy, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina.,Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Geoff Schrank
- Center for In Vivo Microscopy, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | | | | | | | - John P Mugler
- Radiology & Medical Imaging, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia
| | - Bastiaan Driehuys
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.,Center for In Vivo Microscopy, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina.,Department of Radiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
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11
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Burant A, Branca RT. Diffusion-mediated 129Xe gas depolarization in magnetic field gradients during continuous-flow optical pumping. JOURNAL OF MAGNETIC RESONANCE (SAN DIEGO, CALIF. : 1997) 2016; 273:124-129. [PMID: 27825066 PMCID: PMC5142820 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmr.2016.10.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2016] [Revised: 10/06/2016] [Accepted: 10/24/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The production of large volumes of highly polarized noble gases like helium and xenon is vital to applications of magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy with hyperpolarized (HP) gas in humans. In the past ten years, 129Xe has become the gas of choice due to its lower cost, higher availability, relatively high tissue solubility, and wide range of chemical shift values. Though near unity levels of xenon polarization have been achieved in-cell using stopped-flow Spin Exchange Optical Pumping (SEOP), these levels are currently unmatched by continuous-flow SEOP methods. Among the various mechanisms that cause xenon relaxation, such as persistent and transient xenon dimers, wall collisions, and interactions with oxygen, relaxation due to diffusion in magnetic field gradients, caused by rapidly changing magnetic field strength and direction, is often ignored. However, during continuous-flow SEOP production, magnetic field gradients may not have a negligible contribution, especially considering that this methodology requires the combined use of magnets with very different characteristics (low field for spin exchange optical pumping and high field for the reduction of xenon depolarization in the solid state during the freeze out phase) that, when placed together, inevitably create magnetic field gradients along the gas-flow-path. Here, a combination of finite element analysis and Monte Carlo simulations is used to determine the effect of such magnetic field gradients on xenon gas polarization with applications to a specific, continuous-flow hyperpolarization system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex Burant
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA; Biomedical Research Imaging Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA
| | - Rosa Tamara Branca
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA; Biomedical Research Imaging Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA.
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Makulski W. (129) Xe and (131) Xe nuclear magnetic dipole moments from gas phase NMR spectra. MAGNETIC RESONANCE IN CHEMISTRY : MRC 2015; 53:273-279. [PMID: 25594841 DOI: 10.1002/mrc.4191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2014] [Revised: 10/04/2014] [Accepted: 10/22/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
(3) He, (129) Xe and (131) Xe NMR measurements of resonance frequencies in the magnetic field B0=11.7586 T in different gas phase mixtures have been reported. Precise radiofrequency values were extrapolated to the zero gas pressure limit. These results combined with new quantum chemical values of helium and xenon nuclear magnetic shielding constants were used to determine new accurate nuclear magnetic moments of (129) Xe and (131) Xe in terms of that of the (3) He nucleus. They are as follows: μ((129) Xe) = -0.7779607(158)μN and μ((131) Xe) = +0.6918451(70)μN . By this means, the new 'helium method' for estimations of nuclear dipole moments was successfully tested. Gas phase NMR spectra demonstrate the weak intermolecular interactions observed on the (3) He and (129) Xe and (131) Xe shielding in the gaseous mixtures with Xe, CO2 and SF6 .
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Affiliation(s)
- Włodzimierz Makulski
- Laboratory of NMR Spectroscopy, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Warsaw, Pasteura 1, 02-093, Warsaw, Poland
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13
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Repetto M, Babcock E, Blümler P, Heil W, Karpuk S, Tullney K. Systematic T1 improvement for hyperpolarized 129xenon. JOURNAL OF MAGNETIC RESONANCE (SAN DIEGO, CALIF. : 1997) 2015; 252:163-169. [PMID: 25702572 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmr.2015.01.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2014] [Revised: 01/22/2015] [Accepted: 01/23/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The spin-lattice relaxation time T1 of hyperpolarized (HP)-(129)Xe was improved at typical storage conditions (i.e. low and homogeneous magnetic fields). Very long wall relaxation times T(1)(wall) of about 18 h were observed in uncoated, spherical GE180 glass cells of ∅=10 cm which were free of rubidium and not permanently sealed but attached to a standard glass stopcock. An "aging" process of the wall relaxation was identified by repeating measurements on the same cell. This effect could be easily removed by repeating the initial cleaning procedure. In this way, a constant wall relaxation was ensured. The Xe nuclear spin-relaxation rate 1/T1(Xe-Xe) due to van der Waals molecules was investigated too, by admixing three different buffer gases (N(2), SF(6) and CO(2)). Especially CO(2) exhibited an unexpected high efficiency (r) in shortening the lifetime of the Xe-Xe dimers and hence prolonging the total T1 relaxation even further. These measurements also yielded an improved accuracy for the van der Waals relaxation for pure Xe (with 85% (129)Xe) of T(1)(Xe-Xe)=(4.6±0.1)h. Repeating the measurements with HP (129)Xe in natural abundance in mixtures with SF6, a strong dependence of T(1)(Xe-Xe) and r on the isotopic enrichment was observed, uncovering a shorter T(1)(Xe-Xe) relaxation for the (129)Xe in natural composition as compared to the 85% isotopically enriched gas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maricel Repetto
- Institute of Physics, Johannes Gutenberg University, Staudingerweg 7, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Earl Babcock
- Jülich Centre for Neutron Science, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Outstation at MLZ, Lichtenbergstrasse 1, 85747 Garching, Germany
| | - Peter Blümler
- Institute of Physics, Johannes Gutenberg University, Staudingerweg 7, 55128 Mainz, Germany.
| | - Werner Heil
- Institute of Physics, Johannes Gutenberg University, Staudingerweg 7, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Sergei Karpuk
- Institute of Physics, Johannes Gutenberg University, Staudingerweg 7, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Kathlynne Tullney
- Institute of Physics, Johannes Gutenberg University, Staudingerweg 7, 55128 Mainz, Germany
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14
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Allmendinger F, Heil W, Karpuk S, Kilian W, Scharth A, Schmidt U, Schnabel A, Sobolev Y, Tullney K. New limit on Lorentz-invariance- and CPT-violating neutron spin interactions using a free-spin-precession He3-Xe129 comagnetometer. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2014; 112:110801. [PMID: 24702343 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.112.110801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2013] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
We report on the search for a CPT- and Lorentz-invariance-violating coupling of the He3 and Xe129 nuclear spins (each largely determined by a valence neutron) to posited background tensor fields that permeate the Universe. Our experimental approach is to measure the free precession of nuclear spin polarized He3 and Xe129 atoms in a homogeneous magnetic guiding field of about 400 nT using LTC SQUIDs as low-noise magnetic flux detectors. As the laboratory reference frame rotates with respect to distant stars, we look for a sidereal modulation of the Larmor frequencies of the colocated spin samples. As a result we obtain an upper limit on the equatorial component of the background field interacting with the spin of the bound neutron b(⊥)(n)<8.4 × 10(-34) GeV (68% C.L.). Our result improves our previous limit (data measured in 2009) by a factor of 30 and the world's best limit by a factor of 4.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Allmendinger
- Physikalisches Institut, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - W Heil
- Institut für Physik, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, 55099 Mainz, Germany
| | - S Karpuk
- Institut für Physik, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, 55099 Mainz, Germany
| | - W Kilian
- Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt Berlin, 10587 Berlin, Germany
| | - A Scharth
- Institut für Physik, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, 55099 Mainz, Germany
| | - U Schmidt
- Physikalisches Institut, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - A Schnabel
- Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt Berlin, 10587 Berlin, Germany
| | - Yu Sobolev
- Institut für Physik, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, 55099 Mainz, Germany
| | - K Tullney
- Institut für Physik, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, 55099 Mainz, Germany
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15
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Tullney K, Allmendinger F, Burghoff M, Heil W, Karpuk S, Kilian W, Knappe-Grüneberg S, Müller W, Schmidt U, Schnabel A, Seifert F, Sobolev Y, Trahms L. Constraints on spin-dependent short-range interaction between nucleons. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2013; 111:100801. [PMID: 25166647 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.111.100801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2013] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
We search for a spin-dependent P- and T-violating nucleon-nucleon interaction mediated by light pseudoscalar bosons such as axions or axionlike particles. We employ an ultrasensitive low-field magnetometer based on the detection of free precession of colocated 3He and 129Xe nuclear spins using SQUIDs as low-noise magnetic flux detectors. The precession frequency shift in the presence of an unpolarized mass was measured to determine the coupling of pseudoscalar particles to the spin of the bound neutron. For boson masses between 2 and 500 μeV (force ranges between 3×1(-4) m and 10(-1) m) we improved the laboratory upper bounds by up to 4 orders of magnitude.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Tullney
- Institut für Physik, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, 55099 Mainz, Germany
| | - F Allmendinger
- Physikalisches Institut, Universität Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - M Burghoff
- Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt Berlin, 10587 Berlin, Germany
| | - W Heil
- Institut für Physik, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, 55099 Mainz, Germany
| | - S Karpuk
- Institut für Physik, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, 55099 Mainz, Germany
| | - W Kilian
- Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt Berlin, 10587 Berlin, Germany
| | | | - W Müller
- Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt Berlin, 10587 Berlin, Germany
| | - U Schmidt
- Physikalisches Institut, Universität Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - A Schnabel
- Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt Berlin, 10587 Berlin, Germany
| | - F Seifert
- Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt Berlin, 10587 Berlin, Germany
| | - Yu Sobolev
- Institut für Physik, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, 55099 Mainz, Germany
| | - L Trahms
- Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt Berlin, 10587 Berlin, Germany
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16
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Near-unity nuclear polarization with an open-source 129Xe hyperpolarizer for NMR and MRI. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2013; 110:14150-5. [PMID: 23946420 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1306586110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 169] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The exquisite NMR spectral sensitivity and negligible reactivity of hyperpolarized xenon-129 (HP(129)Xe) make it attractive for a number of magnetic resonance applications; moreover, HP(129)Xe embodies an alternative to rare and nonrenewable (3)He. However, the ability to reliably and inexpensively produce large quantities of HP(129)Xe with sufficiently high (129)Xe nuclear spin polarization (P(Xe)) remains a significant challenge--particularly at high Xe densities. We present results from our "open-source" large-scale (∼1 L/h) (129)Xe polarizer for clinical, preclinical, and materials NMR and MRI research. Automated and composed mostly of off-the-shelf components, this "hyperpolarizer" is designed to be readily implementable in other laboratories. The device runs with high resonant photon flux (up to 200 W at the Rb D1 line) in the xenon-rich regime (up to 1,800 torr Xe in 500 cc) in either single-batch or stopped-flow mode, negating in part the usual requirement of Xe cryocollection. Excellent agreement is observed among four independent methods used to measure spin polarization. In-cell P(Xe) values of ∼90%, ∼57%, ∼50%, and ∼30% have been measured for Xe loadings of ∼300, ∼500, ∼760, and ∼1,570 torr, respectively. P(Xe) values of ∼41% and ∼28% (with ∼760 and ∼1,545 torr Xe loadings) have been measured after transfer to Tedlar bags and transport to a clinical 3 T scanner for MR imaging, including demonstration of lung MRI with a healthy human subject. Long "in-bag" (129)Xe polarization decay times have been measured (T1 ∼38 min and ∼5.9 h at ∼1.5 mT and 3 T, respectively)--more than sufficient for a variety of applications.
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17
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Möller HE, Cleveland ZI, Driehuys B. Relaxation of hyperpolarized 129Xe in a deflating polymer bag. JOURNAL OF MAGNETIC RESONANCE (SAN DIEGO, CALIF. : 1997) 2011; 212:109-15. [PMID: 21752680 PMCID: PMC3163736 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmr.2011.06.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2011] [Revised: 06/17/2011] [Accepted: 06/19/2011] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
In magnetic resonance imaging with hyperpolarized (HP) noble gases, data is often acquired during prolonged gas delivery from a storage reservoir. However, little is known about the extent to which relaxation within the reservoir will limit the useful acquisition time. For quantitative characterization, 129Xe relaxation was studied in a bag made of polyvinyl fluoride (Tedlar). Particular emphasis was on wall relaxation, as this mechanism is expected to dominate. The HP 129Xe magnetization dynamics in the deflating bag were accurately described by a model assuming dissolution of Xe in the polymer matrix and dipolar relaxation with neighboring nuclear spins. In particular, the wall relaxation rate changed linearly with the surface-to-volume ratio and exhibited a relaxivity of κ=0.392±0.008 cm/h, which is in reasonable agreement with κ=0.331±0.051 cm/h measured in a static Tedlar bag. Estimates for the bulk gas-phase 129Xe relaxation yielded T1bulk=2.55±0.22 h, which is dominated by intrinsic Xe-Xe relaxation, with small additional contributions from magnetic field inhomogeneities and oxygen-induced relaxation. Calculations based on these findings indicate that relaxation may limit HP 129Xe experiments when slow gas delivery rates are employed as, for example, in mouse imaging or vascular infusion experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harald E. Möller
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Stephanstr. 1a, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Center for In Vivo Microscopy, Department of Radiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
- Corresponding author: Prof. Dr. Harald E. Möller, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Stephanstr. 1a, 04103 Leipzig, Germany, Fax: +49 341 9940 2448
| | - Zackary I. Cleveland
- Center for In Vivo Microscopy, Department of Radiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Bastiaan Driehuys
- Center for In Vivo Microscopy, Department of Radiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
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18
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Whiting N, Nikolaou P, Eschmann NA, Goodson BM, Barlow MJ. Interdependence of in-cell xenon density and temperature during Rb/129Xe spin-exchange optical pumping using VHG-narrowed laser diode arrays. JOURNAL OF MAGNETIC RESONANCE (SAN DIEGO, CALIF. : 1997) 2011; 208:298-304. [PMID: 21185208 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmr.2010.11.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2010] [Revised: 11/23/2010] [Accepted: 11/24/2010] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
The (129)Xe nuclear spin polarization (P(Xe)) that can be achieved via spin-exchange optical pumping (SEOP) is typically limited at high in-cell xenon densities ([Xe](cell)), due primarily to corresponding reductions in the alkali metal electron spin polarization (e.g. P(Rb)) caused by increased non-spin-conserving Rb-Xe collisions. While demonstrating the utility of volume holographic grating (VHG)-narrowed lasers for Rb/(129)Xe SEOP, we recently reported [P. Nikolaou et al., JMR 197 (2009) 249] an anomalous dependence of the observed P(Xe) on the in-cell xenon partial pressure (p(Xe)), wherein P(Xe) values were abnormally low at decreased p(Xe), peaked at moderate p(Xe) (~300 torr), and remained surprisingly elevated at relatively high p(Xe) values (>1000 torr). Using in situ low-field (129)Xe NMR, it is shown that the above effects result from an unexpected, inverse relationship between the xenon partial pressure and the optimal cell temperature (T(OPT)) for Rb/(129)Xe SEOP. This interdependence appears to result directly from changes in the efficiency of one or more components of the Rb/(129)Xe SEOP process, and can be exploited to achieve improved P(Xe) with relatively high xenon densities measured at high field (including averaged P(Xe) values of ~52%, ~31%, ~22%, and ~11% at 50, 300, 500, and 2000 torr, respectively).
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Whiting
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL 62901, USA
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19
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Zheng W, Cleveland ZI, Möller HE, Driehuys B. Gradient-induced longitudinal relaxation of hyperpolarized noble gases in the fringe fields of superconducting magnets used for magnetic resonance. JOURNAL OF MAGNETIC RESONANCE (SAN DIEGO, CALIF. : 1997) 2011; 208:284-90. [PMID: 21134771 PMCID: PMC3026078 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmr.2010.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2010] [Revised: 11/09/2010] [Accepted: 11/09/2010] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
When hyperpolarized noble gases are brought into the bore of a superconducting magnet for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or spectroscopy studies, the gases must pass through substantial field gradients, which can cause rapid longitudinal relaxation. In this communication, we present a means of calculating this spatially dependent relaxation rate in the fringe field of typical magnets. We then compare these predictions to experimental measurements of (3)He relaxation at various positions near a medium-bore 2-T small animal MRI system. The calculated and measured relaxation rates on the central axis of the magnet agree well and show a maximum (3)He relaxation rate of 3.83×10(-3) s(-1) (T(1)=4.4 min) at a distance of 47 cm from the magnet isocenter. We also show that if this magnet were self-shielded, its minimum T(1) would drop to 1.2 min. In contrast, a typical self-shielded 1.5-T clinical MRI scanner will induce a minimum on-axis T(1) of 12 min. Additionally, we show that the cylindrically symmetric fields of these magnets enable gradient-induced relaxation to be calculated using only knowledge of the on-axis longitudinal field, which can either be measured directly or calculated from a simple field model. Thus, while most MRI magnets employ complex and proprietary current configurations, we show that their fringe fields and the resulting gradient-induced relaxation are well approximated by simple solenoid models. Finally, our modeling also demonstrates that relaxation rates can increase by nearly an order of magnitude at radial distances equivalent to the solenoid radius.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wangzhi Zheng
- Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory and Department of Physics, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Zackary I. Cleveland
- Center for In Vivo Microscopy, Department of Radiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Harald E. Möller
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Bastiaan Driehuys
- Center for In Vivo Microscopy, Department of Radiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
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20
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Hanni M, Lantto P, Vaara J. Nuclear spin relaxation due to chemical shift anisotropy of gas-phase 129Xe. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2011; 13:13704-8. [DOI: 10.1039/c1cp21322a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
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21
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Stupic KF, Cleveland ZI, Pavlovskaya GE, Meersmann T. Hyperpolarized (131)Xe NMR spectroscopy. JOURNAL OF MAGNETIC RESONANCE (SAN DIEGO, CALIF. : 1997) 2011; 208:58-69. [PMID: 21051249 PMCID: PMC3160776 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmr.2010.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2010] [Revised: 08/08/2010] [Accepted: 10/05/2010] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Hyperpolarized (hp) (131)Xe with up to 2.2% spin polarization (i.e., 5000-fold signal enhancement at 9.4 T) was obtained after separation from the rubidium vapor of the spin-exchange optical pumping (SEOP) process. The SEOP was applied for several minutes in a stopped-flow mode, and the fast, quadrupolar-driven T(1) relaxation of this spin I = 3/2 noble gas isotope required a rapid subsequent rubidium removal and swift transfer into the high magnetic field region for NMR detection. Because of the xenon density dependent (131)Xe quadrupolar relaxation in the gas phase, the SEOP polarization build-up exhibits an even more pronounced dependence on xenon partial pressure than that observed in (129)Xe SEOP. (131)Xe is the only stable noble gas isotope with a positive gyromagnetic ratio and shows therefore a different relative phase between hp signal and thermal signal compared to all other noble gases. The gas phase (131)Xe NMR spectrum displays a surface and magnetic field dependent quadrupolar splitting that was found to have additional gas pressure and gas composition dependence. The splitting was reduced by the presence of water vapor that presumably influences xenon-surface interactions. The hp (131)Xe spectrum shows differential line broadening, suggesting the presence of strong adsorption sites. Beyond hp (131)Xe NMR spectroscopy studies, a general equation for the high temperature, thermal spin polarization, P, for spin I ≥ 1/2 nuclei is presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karl F. Stupic
- Department of Chemistry, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, United States
- University of Nottingham, School of Clinical Sciences, Sir Peter Mansfield Magnetic Resonance Centre, Nottingham NG7 2RD, United Kingdom
| | - Zackary I. Cleveland
- Department of Chemistry, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, United States
| | - Galina E. Pavlovskaya
- Department of Chemistry, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, United States
- University of Nottingham, School of Clinical Sciences, Sir Peter Mansfield Magnetic Resonance Centre, Nottingham NG7 2RD, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas Meersmann
- Department of Chemistry, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, United States
- University of Nottingham, School of Clinical Sciences, Sir Peter Mansfield Magnetic Resonance Centre, Nottingham NG7 2RD, United Kingdom
- Corresponding author at: University of Nottingham, Sir Peter Mansfield Magnetic Resonance Centre, Nottingham NG7 2RD, United Kingdom. Fax: +44 (0) 115 9515166.
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22
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Lisitza N, Muradian I, Frederick E, Patz S, Hatabu H, Chekmenev EY. Toward 13C hyperpolarized biomarkers produced by thermal mixing with hyperpolarized 129Xe. J Chem Phys 2009; 131:044508. [PMID: 19655895 PMCID: PMC2730707 DOI: 10.1063/1.3181062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2009] [Accepted: 06/23/2009] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The (13)C NMR signal of acetic acid 1-(13)C-AcH is enhanced by polarization transfer from hyperpolarized (129)Xe using a thermal mixing procedure. 1-(13)C-AcH acid and hyperpolarized (129)Xe are mixed as gases to disperse (129)Xe in the acetic acid. The mixture is frozen with liquid N(2) at 0.5 T. The magnetic field is then momentarily dropped to allow for exchange of spin polarization between (13)C and (129)Xe. After polarization exchange the magnetic field is raised to its original value and the mixture is thawed, resulting in a solution of polarization enhanced 1-(13)C-AcH. A (13)C nuclear spin polarization enhancement of 10 is observed compared to its thermal polarization at 4.7 T. This polarization enhancement is approximately three orders of magnitude lower than that predicted by theory. The discrepancy is attributed to the formation of either an inhomogeneous solid matrix and/or spin dynamics during polarization transfer. Despite the low polarization enhancement, this is the first report of polarization transfer from (129)Xe to (13)C nuclear spins achieved by thermal mixing for a proton-containing molecule of biomedical importance. If future work can increase the enhancement, this method will be useful in hyperpolarizing a wide range of (13)C enriched compounds important in biomedical and biophysical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Lisitza
- Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Laboratory, Huntington Medical Research Institutes, Pasadena, California 91105, USA.
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23
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Hanni M, Lantto P, Vaara J. Pairwise additivity in the nuclear magnetic resonance interactions of atomic xenon. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2009; 11:2485-96. [PMID: 19325983 DOI: 10.1039/b821907a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) of atomic (129/131)Xe is used as a versatile probe of the structure and dynamics of various host materials, due to the sensitivity of the Xe NMR parameters to intermolecular interactions. The principles governing this sensitivity can be investigated using the prototypic system of interacting Xe atoms. In the pairwise additive approximation (PAA), the binary NMR chemical shift, nuclear quadrupole coupling (NQC), and spin-rotation (SR) curves for the xenon dimer are utilized for fast and efficient evaluation of the corresponding NMR tensors in small xenon clusters Xe(n) (n = 2-12). If accurate, the preparametrized PAA enables the analysis of the NMR properties of xenon clusters, condensed xenon phases, and xenon gas without having to resort to electronic structure calculations of instantaneous configurations for n > 2. The binary parameters for Xe(2) at different internuclear distances were obtained at the nonrelativistic Hartree-Fock level of theory. Quantum-chemical (QC) calculations at the corresponding level were used to obtain the NMR parameters of the Xe(n) (n = 2-12) clusters at the equilibrium geometries. Comparison of PAA and QC data indicates that the direct use of the binary property curves of Xe(2) can be expected to be well-suited for the analysis of Xe NMR in the gaseous phase dominated by binary collisions. For use in condensed phases where many-body effects should be considered, effective binary property functions were fitted using the principal components of QC tensors from Xe(n) clusters. Particularly, the chemical shift in Xe(n) is strikingly well-described by the effective PAA. The coordination number Z of the Xe site is found to be the most important factor determining the chemical shift, with the largest shifts being found for high-symmetry sites with the largest Z. This is rationalized in terms of the density of virtual electronic states available for response to magnetic perturbations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matti Hanni
- NMR Research Group, Department of Physical Sciences, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 3000, FIN-90014, University of Oulu, Finland.
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24
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Cleveland ZI, Meersmann T. Binary-collision-induced longitudinal relaxation in gas-phase 83Kr. J Chem Phys 2009; 129:244304. [PMID: 19123504 DOI: 10.1063/1.3029663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Density dependent NMR relaxation measurements of noble gases can provide complementary information to that obtained from relaxation studies of molecular gases. However, conventional noble gas NMR is typically hindered by low sensitivity or prohibitively long relaxation times. In this work, the low sensitivity of (83)Kr (I=92) was overcome by spin exchange optical pumping, and the quadrupolar interaction dominated (83)Kr T(1) times of 40-400 s enabled rapid collection of relaxation data. The density dependence of the (83)Kr longitudinal relaxation in pure krypton was found to be about 1.6 x 10(-3) amagat(-1) s(-1). Experiments were also performed in krypton mixtures containing either helium or nitrogen as a buffer gas. By varying the composition and the density of these mixtures, the density dependence of buffer gas induced relaxation and the relaxation efficiency of (83)Kr-buffer gas collisions were determined. The results from these gas mixtures are compared with those from pure krypton.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zackary I Cleveland
- Department of Chemistry, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, USA
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Cleveland ZI, Meersmann T. Density-independent contributions to longitudinal relaxation in 83Kr. Chemphyschem 2008; 9:1375-9. [PMID: 18574827 DOI: 10.1002/cphc.200800134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Zackary I Cleveland
- Department of Chemistry, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
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Cleveland ZI, Stupic KF, Pavlovskaya GE, Repine JE, Wooten JB, Meersmann T. Hyperpolarized 83Kr and 129Xe NMR Relaxation Measurements of Hydrated Surfaces: Implications for Materials Science and Pulmonary Diagnostics. J Am Chem Soc 2007; 129:1784-92. [PMID: 17243679 DOI: 10.1021/ja065994t] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
In this proof of principle work, a technique is introduced to study hydrated surfaces using hyperpolarized (hp) 83Kr NMR spectroscopy. The longitudinal (T1) relaxation of hp-83Kr is shown to be extremely sensitive to the presence of adsorbed water on hydrophilic borosilicate and hydrophobic siliconized glass surfaces. The krypton surface relaxation is found to be largely independent of the total gas pressure applied to the studied materials, and the presented technique is therefore fairly robust. However, the relaxational properties of hp-83Kr can be "tuned" by adjusting the composition of the optical pumping gas mixture. This effect may be important for practical applications such as hp-83Kr MR imaging and can be achieved without sacrificing signal intensity. Complementary information to that of hp-83Kr surface relaxation data can be obtained from hp-129Xe relaxation measurements that are sensitive to the presence of paramagnetic surface sites. In contrast to the signal decay of hp-129Xe, the longitudinal relaxation of 83Kr is largely unaffected by paramagnetic impurities, and in some materials, 83Kr and 129Xe show comparable T1 times that are caused by two completely different relaxation mechanisms. Finally, the relaxation times of 83Kr in contact with bovine lung surfactant coated glass pores that are similar in size to mammalian alveoli are presented. The results suggest that in vivo MR studies may be feasible and could provide valuable information about changes in pulmonary surface chemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zackary I Cleveland
- Department of Chemistry, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, USA
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Saito M, Hiraga T, Hattori M, Murakami S, Nakai T. An investigation of pipeline materials for continuous hyperpolarized 129Xe gas spectroscopy. Magn Reson Imaging 2005; 23:607-10. [PMID: 15919608 DOI: 10.1016/j.mri.2005.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2004] [Accepted: 02/03/2005] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
In order to establish a continuous hyperpolarized xenon-129 (HP-129Xe) gas delivery system for MR imaging, the effect of the metallic materials in the gas pipeline on the signal intensity was investigated. In the gas pipeline, an appropriate surface is needed to minimize wall relaxation by the HP-129Xe gas caused by the interaction between the HP gas and the surface, which can lead to signal loss. Although Pyrex glass is a popular material for the HP gas chamber, it is fragile under heat or physical stress. In this study, five stainless steel tubes (STs) prepared with different surface film-forming processes were examined. The MR signal intensities of HP-129Xe gas that passed through each tube were then compared. The film passivated by iron fluoride maintained the highest level of hyperpolarization, whereas that passivated by chromium oxide maintained the lowest. A ST with an appropriate passive film may be a useful alternative to a Pyrex glass pipeline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moyoko Saito
- Photonics Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Osaka 563-8577, Japan.
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Abstract
Hyperpolarized gases have found a steadily increasing range of applications in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and NMR imaging (MRI). They can be regarded as a new class of MR contrast agent or as a way of greatly enhancing the temporal resolution of the measurement of processes relevant to areas as diverse as materials science and biomedicine. We concentrate on the properties and applications of hyperpolarized xenon. This review discusses the physics of producing hyperpolarization, the NMR-relevant properties of 129Xe, specific MRI methods for hyperpolarized gases, applications of xenon to biology and medicine, polarization transfer to other nuclear species and low-field imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana-Maria Oros
- Institute of Medicine, Research Centre Jiilich, 52425 Jülich, Germany.
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Rice CV, Raftery D. Rubidium–xenon spin exchange and relaxation rates measured at high pressure and high magnetic field. J Chem Phys 2002. [DOI: 10.1063/1.1500733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
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