Xenon Hyperpolarisers
We have two xenon polarisers in a dedicated xenon hyperpolarisation lab in Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre - QMC:
- GE2000 xenon polariser supplied by GE
- GE2000 polariser incollaboration with Vanderbilt University TN, USA
Senior research fellow Dr Michael Barlow operating a xenon polariser
The first one being a GE2000 xenon polariser originally supplied by GE. This system is capable of producing 1 litre of hyperpolarised xenon with polarisation levels of ~ 10% in ~ 30 minutes, a level suitable for clinical use. This system is approved for MHRA-IMP production at the QMC and is currently used for all of our clinical work at SPMIC-QMC. This system is still manufactured by Polarean Inc in NC USA.
In addition to the GE2000 polariser we now have a new xenon polariser developed incollaboration with Vanderbilt University TN, USA. This system is capable of producing polariser xenon with polarisation levels in excess of 90%, the highest reported of any clinical polariser in use today. This system is currently being tested in readiness for MHRA-IMP approval in 2017.