Hyperpolarized 129Xe gas lung MRI–SNR and T2* comparisons at 1.5 T and 3 T

In this study, the signal-to-noise ratio of hyperpolarized (129)Xe human lung magnetic resonance imaging was compared at 1.5 T and 3 T. Experiments were performed at both B(0) fields with quadrature double Helmholtz transmit-receive chest coils of the same geometry with the same subject loads. Differences in sensitivity between the two field strengths were assessed from the signal-to-noise ratio of multi-slice 2D (129)Xe ventilation lung images obtained at the two field strengths with a spatial resolution of 15 mm × 4 mm × 4 mm. There was a systematically higher signal-to-noise ratio observed at 3 T than at 1.5 T by a factor of 1.25. Mean image signal-to-noise ratio was in the range 27-44 at 1.5 T and 36-51 at 3 T. T 2* of (129)Xe gas in the partially inflated lungs was measured to be 25 ms and 18 ms at 1.5 T and 3 T, respectively. T 2* of (129)Xe gas in fully inflated lungs was measured to be 52 ms and 24 ms at 1.5 T and 3 T, respectively.