This invited talk will cover recent research methodology and technological developments for improving the sensitivity of 129Xe MR for functional imaging of the lungs and other organs with hyperpolarised xenon.

The talk will cover aspects of:

1. Developments in polarisation of 129Xe by spin exchange optical pumping (SEOP) for large-scale production of highly polarised hyperpolarised xenon for in vivo applications.

2. RF hardware and B0 field strength related considerations for optimising the sensitivity of human lung MRI with 129Xe.

3. Pulse sequence strategies for enhanced SNR lung imaging with 129Xe and image acceleration techniques exploiting steady state free precession, parallel imaging, under-sampled non-Cartesian trajectories and compressed sensing.

4. Customised pulse sequence design for functional lung imaging with hyperpolarised 129Xe, including: volumetric acquisition of lung ventilation, gas flow, diffusion and gas exchange information, among other aspects of lung function.

5. Technological developments for the simultaneous capture of MR signals from multiple nuclei.

6. Mathematical models of 129Xe MR signal in lung and brain that offer insight into pathophysiology.

7. Recent results from spectroscopy and imaging studies of dissolved 129Xe in other organs such as kidney and human brain.

The talk will be illustrated with results of current research from the investigators lab in Sheffield and other leading international groups. Examples of how the techniques are being used in clinical research and clinical practice will be highlighted.