Helium

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Development of new MRI pulse sequences for probing lung function in volunteers with hyperpolarised 3He gas.

• IRAS ID

  16557

• Contact name

  Paul Griffiths

• Eudract number

  2009-010815-34

• ISRCTN Number

  Not Sent

• Research summary

  The study aims to further develop techniques with MRI of Helium-3 gas to givefunctional images of the lungs. The scans will offer additional functional information that's currently not available with traditional X-rays and lung CT scans. CT provides good images of lung structure but little functional information and its frequent use is limited in children by the radiation dose.The goal is to test a single breath-hold functional 3He MRI pulse sequence (the way the MRI scanner is programmed to collect data) with sensitivity to multiple functional aspects of the lung physiology. In order to fully test this sequence before commencing clinical research studies we need to evaluate that it works in volunteers. Therefore the MRI pulse sequences will be tested in a group of up to 20 healthy volunteers to be recruited from the local research group and the results will be compared with existing methods that require separate breath-holds of 3He gas.

• REC name

  London - Bloomsbury Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  09/H0713/55

• Date of REC Opinion

  7 Dec 2009

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion