| abstract |
The present invention provides a method of magnetic resonance investigation of a sample, preferably of a human or non-human animal body, said method comprising: n (i) nuclear spin polarizing a solid MR imaging agent (i.e. a material containing in its molecular structure a non-zero nuclear spin nucleus) by (a) spin refrigeration, or by, (b) irradiating with circularly polarized light; n (ii) administering the nuclear spin polarized MR imaging agent to said sample, preferably after dissolution in a physiologically tolerable solvent and also preferably after separation from some or all of the paramagnetic species or chromophores; n (iii) exposing said sample to a radiation at a frequency selected to excite nuclear spin transitions in selected nuclei therein, e.g. the spin polarized nuclei of the MR imaging agent; n (iv) detecting magnetic resonance signals from said sample; and n (v) optionally generating an image, dynamic flow data, diffusion data, perfusion data, physiological data (e.g. pH, pO 2 , pCO 2 , temperature or ionic concentrations) or metabolic data from said detected signals. |