Polarean, a pioneer in hyperpolarized gas technology, announced that it has developed new technology to dramatically improve polarization rates.
Polarean’s new technology is now being offered as an upgrade kit to current owners of 9800 series Polarean Xenon Hyperpolarizers, enabling them to consistently reach polarization levels of 20-25%.
Additional polarization improvements are underway, to be included in the new 9820 Series of Polarean Hyperpolarizers, available in mid-2015.
Polarean’s hyperpolarization technology addresses a significant need in pulmonary research and drug development.
The technology produces hyperpolarized inert xenon gas, used in conjunction with standard MRI imaging to create high resolution 3-dimensional images of the human lung.
This technique is a unique way to monitor extremely small changes in lung structure and lung function, and is used in basic and clinical research to study lung physiology and to monitor the efficacy of new drugs.
Higher levels of polarization provide researchers with additional flexibility. They can reduce the amount of Xenon to be inhaled, without compromising image quality, and this is especially important in pediatric studies. Or, researchers can use the same amount of Xenon and achieve higher image quality.
"We have made significant improvements in our hyperpolarization technology, especially in the downstream recovery of polarized Xenon," commented Dr. Bastiaan Driehuys, Polarean’s founder and Chief Scientific Officer.
Polarean’s research equipment is currently in use at leading academic research centers in North America and Europe.