Recently, MU Health Care became the second hospital in the U.S. to adopt xenon MRI technology for lung scans. This innovative technology promises to revolutionize the evaluation of lung diseases such as cystic fibrosis, asthma, COPD, and cancer.
Unlike traditional MRI which uses hydrogen atoms in body tissue, xenon MRI targets hyperpolarized xenon gas. Patients inhale this non-reactive substance during the scan, which is then held in the lungs for a brief period of time, resulting in more accurate imaging of the lungs. Xenon MRI operates similarly to traditional MRI diagnostics, using magnets to align the body’s atoms in its scans.
The detailed 3D images produced by xenon MRI provide clinicians with a comprehensive view of the ventilated lung airspaces. Additionally, the test can quantify lung microstructure and assess detailed aspects of lung function such as gas exchange. Dr. Zach Holliday, a pulmonologist at MU Health Care believes that this enhanced imaging is a gamechanger in the diagnosis and treatment of lung disease.
Prior to the implementation of xenon MRI diagnosing lung diseases was often like solving a puzzle with missing pieces. With this new technology gaps in the diagnostic process can now be filled. The adoption of xenon MRI is part of MU Health Care’s NextGen Precision Health initiative which aims to collaborate with researchers from the University of Missouri and other universities within the UM System to advance precision health technologies for improved patient care.
Xenon MRI shows promise in providing clinicians with a more comprehensive understanding of lung disease by providing detailed 3D images that can quantify lung microstructure and assess detailed aspects of lung function such as gas exchange.
Diagnosing lung diseases was often like solving a puzzle with missing pieces prior to xenon MRI implementation but now gaps
