Imaging agents for use in magnetic resonance blood flow/perfusion imaging

Abstract

In one aspect, a method of imaging blood flow in a region of interest of a subject using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is provided. The method includes introducing an imaging agent into the subject, the imaging agent including a compound having at least one hyperpolarized nucleus having a T 1 greater than 15 seconds and a water-octanol partition coefficient between −1 and 1, providing at least one excitation signal to the region of interest, the at least one excitation signal configured to invoke a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) effect at least in the introduced imaging agent, and detecting an NMR signal emitted by the region of interest in response to the at least one excitation signal. In another aspect, the imaging agent includes a carbon-13 enriched alcohol.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 - 3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . A method of imaging blood flow in a region of interest of a subject using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the method comprising:
 introducing an imaging agent into the subject, the imaging agent including a carbon-13 enriched alcohol;   providing at least one excitation signal to the region of interest, the at least one excitation signal configured to invoke a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) effect at least in the introduced imaging agent; and   detecting an NMR signal emitted by the region of interest in response to the at least one excitation signal.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the imaging agent includes a hyperpolarized carbon-13 enriched alcohol. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising an act of hyperpolarizing the carbon-13 enriched alcohol using dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP). 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising an act of hyperpolarizing the carbon-13 enriched alcohol using para-hydrogen induced polarization (PHIP). 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the carbon-13 enriched alcohol includes tert-butyl alcohol (t-butanol). 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein a molecule of the t-butanol imaging agent is of the form: 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the t-butanol imaging agent is deuterated and a molecule of the deuterated butanol imaging agent is of the form: 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         wherein D denotes a deuterium. 
       
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein a molecule of the t-butanol imaging agent is of the form: 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the t-butanol is deuterated and a molecule of the deuterated butanol imaging agent is of the form: 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         wherein D denotes deuterium. 
       
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the carbon-13 enriched alcohol includes 2-methyl-2-butanol. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein a molecule of the 2-methyl-2-butanol imaging agent is of the form: 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the 2-methyl-2-butanol imaging agent is deuterated and a molecule of the deuterated 2-methyl-2-butanol is of the form: 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         wherein D denotes deuterium. 
       
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein a molecule of the 2-methyl-2-butanol imaging agent is of the form: 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the 2-methyl-2-butanol image agent is deuterated and a molecule of the deuterated 2-methyl-2-butanol imaging agent is of the form: 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         wherein D denotes deuterium. 
       
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the introducing the imaging agent includes injecting the imaging agent into the subject. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the introducing the imaging agent includes inhalation of the imaging agent by the subject. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the introducing the imaging agent includes ingestion of the imaging agent by the subject.