A highly automated experimental setup to perform PHIP via proton exchange with high pressure and high reproducibility at various magnetic fields

The PHIP-X methodology is a novel approach to produce contrast agents for metabolic MRI by hyperpolarization and combines the high polarization resulting from pH2 addition with the versatility of proton exchange. However, the polarization yield and reproducibility have to be improved. The proposed setup provides reproducible and well controlled experimental conditions for PHIP-X, including a pH2 pressure of up to 100 bar and a magnetic field of up to 95 mT. Using this setup allowed to reach high 1H polarizations of the transfer agent and to transfer the polarization to 13C in the target molecule glucose successfully.