Inert hyperpolarized gases are under development for imaging air spaces, including those in the lungs. Because they mostly contain air and water, lungs are difficult organs to image.
These ventilation agents (gases) have potential in lung imaging and are currently used in studies of the pulmonary ventilation:
Specific isotopes of inert gases can be hyperpolarized. Hyperpolarized is a state in which almost all of the atoms nuclei are spinning in the same direction. Once the nuclei in the isotope 3He have been hyperpolarized using a laser, they remain in this state for several days. The inert, hyperpolarized gas can then be used in a lung imaging study, where the high concentration of polarized nuclei provides a sharp contrast in MRI. The technique is already being developed with a view to commercialization by Magnetic Imaging Technologies in Durham, North Carolina. According to the company, existing MRI equipment can be used with a few minor modifications, along with a gas polarizer. The technique could provide early detection and monitoring of pulmonary disease.
Hyperpolarized 129Xe can also be used as a magnetic resonance tracer because of its MR-enhanced sensitivity combined with its high solubility. This isotope differs from 3He in that it can dissolve in the blood. Strong enhancement of the nuclear spin polarization of xenon in the gas phase can be achieved by optical pumping of rubidium and subsequent spin-exchange with the xenon nuclei. This technique can increase the magnetic resonance signal of xenon by five orders of magnitude, thus allowing NMR detection of xenon in very low concentration. MR spectroscopy and imaging of optically polarized xenon shows considerable potential for medical applications (see also back projection imaging).
Nycomed Amersham anticipated the market for inert gases in pulmonary imaging. The company obtained an exclusive license for the use of helium (He) and xenon (Xe) as MRI contrast agents. Currently, the US FDA has not yet approved the commercial distribution of inert gas imaging equipment, because the technique is still undergoing trials.

This imaging technique is probably the earliest, but rarely used today. Most of today's imaging techniques are based on the Fourier transform, and fill the Cartesian grid of points in k-space line by line by a sequence of applied gradients. Back projection imaging performs a radial filling of the k-space by a one dimensional field gradient, applied at different angles. Back projection imaging is still in use in laser polarized noble gas imaging (see ventilation agents and lung imaging).

Lung imaging is furthermore a challenge in MRI because of the predominance of air within the lungs and associated susceptibility issues as well as low signal to noise of the inflated lung parenchyma. Cardiac and respiratory triggered or breath hold sequences allow diagnostic imaging, however a comparable image quality with computed tomography is still difficult to achieve.
Assumptions for lung MRI:
The current trends in MRI are the use of new imaging technologies and increasingly powerful magnetic fields. Among these technologies are parallel imaging techniques as well as ventilation agents like hyperpolarized helium for the use as an inert inhalational contrast agent to study lung ventilation properties. With hyperpolarized gases clear images of the lungs can be obtained without using a large magnetic field (see also back projection imaging). Single shot sequences (e.g. TSE or Half Fourier Acquisition Single Shot Turbo Spin Echo HASTE) used in lung MR imaging benefits from parallel imaging techniques due to reduced relaxation time effects during the echo train and therefore reduced image blurring as well as reduced motion artifacts.
In the future, more effective contrast agents may provide an alternative solution to the need for high field MRI. Dynamic contrast enhanced MRI perfusion has demonstrated a potential in the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism or to characterize lung cancer and mediastinal tumors. 3D contrast enhanced magnetic resonance angiography of the thoracic vessel.

See also the related poll result: 'MRI will have replaced 50% of x-ray exams by'