Selective Saturation NMR Imaging

The application of selective saturation (or solvent suppression) techniques in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) imaging offers the opportunity to significantly expand the range of NMR studies. Data acquired at 1.44 T are presented using a two-dimensional spin-echo sequence preceded by a selective (saturating) radiofrequency pulse. Individual water or lipid proton resonances were eliminated (greater than 90% reduction in signal intensity) resulting in images of H2O or -CH2- distribution with resolution and imaging time equivalent to conventional proton images. Data are also presented demonstrating the feasibility of using selective saturation to image proton metabolites at low concentrations with a three-dimensional chemical shift imaging approach. Lactate was investigated because of its importance in the pathophysiology of ischemic insult. Phantom studies without solvent suppression failed to detect lactate at 80 mM; however, with solvent suppression, lactate at 40 mM was imaged in a reasonable time (approximately 50 min). With the favorable NMR characteristics of the methyl protons of lactate and with improvements in imaging systems, this technique may play an important role in the noninvasive evaluation of tissue ischemia using 1H NMR.