Hyperpolarized H2O MR angiography

Purpose The aim of this study was to demonstrate that dissolution- dynamic nuclear polarization is capable of hyperpolarizing water protons and that the signal from the hyperpolarized bolus injection can be exploited in angiographic applications. Methods We hyperpolarized water/glycerol using dynamic nuclear polarization followed by dissolution in D2O. Results A water 1H signal enhancement of 77 times compared with 4.7 Tesla was obtained. This corresponds to a polarization of 3.5% for the 3.9 mol/L 1H in D2O . Moreover, a T1 in excess of 20 s was achieved. Conclusion The use of hyperpolarized water as a contrast agent presents a new opportunity to obtain MRA images with high contrast-to-noise in a fraction of a second. Magn Reson Med 71:50–56, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.