Radiologists Image Asthmatic Lungs with New Twist to MRI Physics
July 1, 2003
In conventional MRI scans, the lungs appear black, being mostly just filled with air. But hyperpolarized helium is now helping radiologists get better contrast when imaging the lungs. Patients inhale one breath of helium and hold it for about 10 seconds while in the MRI machine. The helium's polarized atomic nuclei light up in the MRI. Any remaining dark areas are a sign that airways may be obstructed due to asthma.
