Hyperpolarized 129Xe MRI : a new option for navigating respiratory interventions

Motivation: The current techniques employed in respiratory interventional navigation render the real-time global imaging of the airway and surgical instruments challenging during interventional procedures. Goal(s): To confirm that 129Xe MRI is a potentially robust technology for navigating respiratory interventions. Approach: The surface of the interventional instrument was modified with a ZIF-8 membrane to capture hyperpolarized 129Xe, thereby generating 129Xe@ZIF-8 NMR signals. Subsequently, rats were tracheotomized to insert the interventional instrument and conduct 129Xe MRI scans. Results: Hyperpolarized 129Xe MRI provides a comprehensive view of the rat's tracheal structures, including the precise location of interventional instruments. Impact: We demonstrate a method for the localization and navigation of interventional instruments within the airway on 129Xe MRI scanners, i.e., using ZIF-8 membranes as imaging markers, and preliminarily validate the possibility of 129Xe MRI as a respiratory interventional navigation technique.