Fast Imaging of Hyperpolarized Substrates

13C Spiral MRSI

Given the transient nature of the hyperpolarized signal enhancement, fast imaging techniques are a critical requirement for real-time metabolic imaging. Here we show the development of an ultrafast, multislice, spiral chemical shift imaging sequence, with subsecond acquisition time, achieved on a clinical MR scanner. The images on show dynamic metabolic imaging of the rat kidney, with measurement of time-resolved spatial distributions of hyperpolarized 13C1-pyruvate and metabolic products 13C1-lactate and 13C1-alanine, with a temporal resolution of as fast as 1 second. These results demonstrate the feasibility of real-time, hyperpolarized metabolic imaging and highlight its potential in assessing organ-specific kinetic parameters.