With the technique of spin-exchange optical pumping (SEOP), the spin polarization of laser-enhanced xenon gas can be enhanced by four or five orders of magnitude, which makes it feasible to imaging the gas of the lung. We successfully developed the first human multi-nuclear MRI instrument in China, boosting 129Xe signal more than 70,000 folds. Hyperpolarized 129Xe enables us to image the structure and function of lung, which cannot be done by clinical MRI. We acquired the first batch of multi-nuclear human lung images with hyperpolarized 129Xe MRI in China, which solved the problem that CT was radioactive and could not obtain lung function. The technique has been used in Wuhan Jinyintan hospital and Tongji Hospital for comprehensively evaluating lung microstructure and function changes in COVID-19 survivors, and provided scientific and technological support for the prevention and control of epidemic.
In addition, hyperpolarized xenon magnetic resonance combined with multimodal molecular imaging technology has become an excellent technology for rapid detection of lesions in laboratory and clinical research. We have developed the first high field CEST contrast agent, " hyperpolarized Xe signal advancement by metal-organic framework (MOF) entrapment (Hyper-SAME)" to enhance gas magnetic resonance signals in aqueous solution, and coloring ultrasensitive MRI with tunable metal-organic frameworks. These techniques provide a new strategy for the development of ultra-high sensitivity magnetic resonance molecular images, which might be helpful for quantitative and visual detection of various diseases clinically in future.