helium-3

Helium-3 is a stable, non-radioactive isotope of helium used as a diagnostic imaging agent in hyperpolarized noble gas magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). When hyperpolarized via spin-exchange optical pumping or metastability exchange optical pumping, helium-3 provides high-resolution, functional imaging of the lung airways and ventilation patterns. It is primarily investigated for assessing pulmonary disorders such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, and cystic fibrosis, allowing for the visualization of ventilation defects and the measurement of lung morphometry through apparent diffusion coefficients (ADC).

Other names

hyperpolarized helium-33Hehelium-3 gashelium3 gashelium 3 gas