At-A-Glance Session Detail
   
X-Nuclei & Hyperpolarization
Weekend Course
ORGANIZERS: Shao Huang, Rolf Schulte, Xiaoliang Zhang
Saturday, 10 May 2025
311
08:00 -  11:50
Moderators: Wei Chen & Joshua Kaggie
Skill Level: Intermediate to Advanced
Session Number: WE-07
No CME/CE Credit
Session Number: WE-07

Overview
X-nuclei journey from basics to advanced techniques and applications, linking the physics principles with the engineering requirements/needs.
This course includes 8 lectures and 2 meet the teachers sessions, organized as follows:
1- Basic physics of x-nuclei and hyperpolarization
2- MR Hardware for x-nuclei: broadband amplifiers, dual-tuned coils
3- Engineering aspects of hyperpolarization: dDNP, PHIP, SEOP
4- Acquisition and reconstruction methods for x-nuclei MR imaging and spectroscopy
5- Meet the teachers
6- 13C metabolic imaging
7- 129Xe lung imaging
8- Sodium MRI
9- Other nuclei: 2H, 7Li, 17O, 31P, 39K, etc.
10- Meet the teachers

Target Audience
Physicists and engineers.

Educational Objectives
As a result of attending this course, participants should be able to:
• Describe spatial encoding and how to navigate through k-space;
• Explain how to accelerate scans; and
• Describe the acquisition chain.
08:00 Basic Physics of X-nuclei & Hyperpolarization
TBD
08:25 RF Hardware for X-Nuclei
Tanja Platt

Keywords: Contrast mechanisms: Non-proton, Physics & Engineering: Hardware

  • Due to low NMR sensitivity and/or low concentrations in vivo, X-nuclei MR applications benefit from RF hardware that achieves a high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). High magnetic field strengths result in an increased SNR for many MR applications.
  • Multinuclear RF coils provide complementary data from several nuclei in the same subject position. X-nuclei RF coil setups, which also enable 1H MRI, allow for high-resolution anatomical 1H imaging.
  • Simultaneous or interleaved acquisition of two nuclei provides complementary data from transient states or allows to use long relaxation intervals, e.g., for 1H imaging.
  • This talk deals with X-nuclei RF hardware requirements and developments.
08:50 Engineering Aspects of Hyperpolarization: dDNP, PHIP, SEOP
Adam Gaunt
09:15 Acquisition & Reconstruction Methods for X-Nuclei MR Imaging & Spectroscopy
Jeremy Gordon

Keywords: Contrast mechanisms: Molecular imaging, Image acquisition: Sequences, Image acquisition: Reconstruction

X-nuclei provide a wealth of unique information but require specialized acquisition and reconstruction strategies to maximize their utility and overcome their intrinsically low sensitivity. This presentation will cover the fundamentals of how to acquire and reconstruct x-nuclei MR images and will introduce the audience to some of the challenges associated with x-nuclei MRI. Topics will include imaging strategies for quadrupolar nuclei, how to choose the appropriate pulse sequence for a given x-nucleus, and reconstruction pipelines that incorporate prior knowledge to improve image quality.
09:40 Break & Meet the Teachers
10:10 Clinical Hyperpolarised 13C MRI: the past, the present and the future
Ines Horvat-Menih

Keywords: Contrast mechanisms: Hyperpolarized MR (Non-Gas), Contrast mechanisms: Hyperpolarization, Contrast mechanisms: Spectroscopic Imaging (MRSI)

Clinical hyperpolarised 13C-MRI has been around for some years now, but where are we headed with it? In this talk, we will aim to look at the following aspects of this novel technology:
  • The origins HP 13C-MRI and its development into a clinical imaging tool
  • Current research and potential avenues for its use in the clinics
  •  Recent innovations in the field and comparative metabolic imaging techniques
  •  Research gaps and healthcare/industry requirements to be addressed in the translation to the clinics
10:35 129Xe Lung Imaging
Sean Fain
11:00 Multi-nuclei (31P and 23Na) MR in Clinical Research: Applications in Brain and Liver
Fuhua Yan, Naying He, Huimin Lin

Keywords: Contrast mechanisms: Non-proton, Neuro: Nervous System, Body: Liver

This lecture offers MR physics and medical students a comprehensive exploration of 31P and 23Na applications in brain and liver. Attendees will gain insights into the technical foundations and recent advancements of multinuclear MR, understand the challenges and evidence supporting clinical translation, and discover specific applications through international research and firsthand experience. The presentation bridges theoretical principles with practical clinical implementation, highlighting how these emerging techniques provide unique metabolic information beyond conventional imaging. By understanding current limitations and future directions, participants will appreciate how multinuclear MR is poised to enhance diagnostic capabilities and treatment monitoring in neurological and hepatic disorders.
11:25 Sodium MRI
Frank Riemer