Today a joint project between ANSTO, Monash University, the University of Queensland, and the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute reached an important milestone.
The project aims to construct a hyperpolarised 3He and 129Xe gas polarising station at the Monash Biomedical Imaging Centre. Together, we successfully polarised a cell of 3He gas and carried out an MRI imaging test using the polarised gas at the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute in Melbourne.
In these images, one shows the NMR signal of 3He polarisation at the station and the other shows a MRI image of the polarised 3He gas inside a Tedlar bag.
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Our next step is to bring the station to full operation which will increase the 3He polarisation and the production rate. Key people involved with the construction are Cavin Talbot of Queensland University, and Hal Lee and Tim D'Adam of ANSTO. The project's Chief Investigator, Frank Thien of Monash University, organised the test.
The Monash Biomedical Imaging Centre and Monash University have provided the logistical support for the construction. The project, entitled "Hyperpolarised gas functional lung and molecular imaging" has been funded by a 2012 Australian Research Council Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities grant.