People with chronic lung disease and asthma could soon be offered better treatment thanks to a new type of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan being pioneered at The University of Nottingham.
A purpose-built MRI research unit has been established to study a range of respiratory diseases. The unit is based at the Queens Medical Centre and will allow doctors to virtually 'see inside' the lungs of patients using a new, specifically-adapted MRI scanner.
The team of scientists and clinicians are working on a new technique using a specially-treated harmless gas which the patient is given to inhale. Unlike air, this gas shows up clearly on an MRI scan, giving an exquisitely-detailed picture of the lungs, their damaged and healthy areas. The new method also shows the gas being absorbed into the bloodstream. This will give doctors a clear idea of how well or badly the different parts of the lungs are transferring life-sustaining oxygen. The scans could also be used to guide treatment or to guide surgeons performing lung reduction operations.