Measurement of Pulmonary Hematocrit Using Oscillation of Hyperpolarized129Xe MR Signals in Blood

Motivation: Accurate, non-invasive pulmonary hematocrit (Hct) assessment is crucial for detecting lung function abnormalities but remains challenging with existing methods like blood tests and CSSR. Goal(s): This study aims to establish a faster, non-invasive approach to measure pulmonary Hct using hyperpolarized 129Xe MR signal oscillations. Approach: We analyzed cardiac-induced oscillations in 129Xe MR signals from red blood cells and tissue/plasma compartments in rat models to estimate Hct and compared results with CSSR and blood tests. Results: Pulmonary Hct values strongly correlated with traditional measurements, demonstrating the method's sensitivity to blood composition changes in anemia models. Impact: This novel approach for pulmonary Hct assessment enables non-invasive measurements of lung blood composition, providing new possibilities for early lung disease detection. It enables accurate Hct measurements in small pulmonary vessels, potentially refining disease diagnosis and progression monitoring.