Respiratory MRI
New technologies improve imaging for respiratory diseases
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is an effective imaging method to investigate the human body, but the respiratory system has challenged imaging researchers because lungs do not produce the signals required to deliver quality MRI images.
Monash Biomedical Imaging is developing new technologies capable of improving MRI of the respiratory system. Our new multimodal respiratory imaging facility will operate alongside our preclinical and clinical 3T MRI scanner, and will provide important tools for respiratory disease researchers.
Non-invasive, safe imaging of lung function
Using Monash Biomedical Imaging’s respiratory MRI facilities, researchers can access three new MRI techniques to improve imaging of lung function:
1. Hyperpolarised xenon for the measurement of ventilation across the lung
2. Specific ventilation imaging using proton imaging for the measurement of lung density and specific ventilation
3. Arterial spin labelling for the measurement of perfusion within the lung.
These non-invasive MRI techniques provide functional and spatial information about the lung including ventilation homogeneity, perfusion inhomogeneity and lung density.
Read more about this MR lung imaging development at MBI.
More opportunities for clinical studies
Monash Biomedical Imaging’s new respiratory MRI advances may one day enable clinical studies involving children, pregnant women and adults of all disease states because these MRI techniques are harmless and do not use ionising radiation, such as with CT and X-Ray imaging.