The purpose of this study is to develop and evaluate the usefulness of hyperpolarized (HP) 129Xe gas MRI for regional assessment of pulmonary function.

This is an unblinded, open-label study with ~160 subjects with diagnosed pulmonary disease and ~100 healthy controls. Subjects to be enrolled will include males and females 18-80 years old. Evaluation will be on an outpatient basis. Imaging will be done on a single day and will involve administration of up to four 1-liter doses of HP 129Xe plus one 129Xe calibration dose (~300-400mL HP 129Xe). In addition to 129Xe MRI, a series of anatomical conventional 1H MR images will be collected including a localizer scan, breath-hold spin echo image, and breath-hold steady-state free precession image to highlight the vasculature. All subjects will be evaluated at one center: The University of Kansas Medical Center, KS USA.

Inclusion Criteria:

Healthy Volunteers:

• Subject has no diagnosed pulmonary conditions
• Ability to read and understand English or Spanish

Subjects with Lung Disease:

• Subject has a diagnosis of pulmonary dysfunction made by a physician
• No acute worsening of pulmonary function in the past 30 days
• Ability to read and understand English or Spanish

Exclusion Criteria:

• MRI is contraindicated based on responses to MRI screening questionnaire
• Subject is pregnant or lactating
• Subject does not fit into 129Xe vest coil used for MRI
• Subject cannot hold his/her breath for 15-16 seconds
• Subject deemed unlikely to be able to comply with instructions during imaging
• Oxygen saturation <88% on room air or with supplemental oxygen
• Cognitive deficits that preclude ability to provide consent
• Institutionalization