The objective of this proposal is to extend the operating frequency of a low-field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system being donated to the investigator by General Electric Medical Systems. This requires the acquisition of radio frequency (RF) components to extend the operating frequency to cover the 2-10 MHz range. This may enable the hyperpolarized noble gas MRI, recently invented by the investigator and his collaborators, to be used for the imaging and spectroscopy of human body structures and functions that have hitherto posed difficulties for conventional proton MR. The potential applications include: (1) lung and lung-gas imaging (for diagnosis of emphysema and studies of respiratory function), (2) the imaging of lipid structures in the brain (for the diagnosis and staging of multiple sclerosis and in research on brain function), and 3) better measurement of blood flow to tissue (important for stroke and ischemia diagnosis, and also for research in brain and cardiopulmonary function). ***
