Feasibility of Regional Lung Ventilation Imaging Using 3T MR Imaging With Ultrashort Echo Time (UTE) Pulse Sequences

Lung MRI examination is performed for approximately 30 min on a 3T machine (Achieva 3T, Philips) using UTE sequences, both during free breathing with image synchronisation using an echo-navigator, and during an end-inspiratory and end-expiratory pauses. In the 10 first subjects, the MR protocol is optimized in order to maximize MRI parenchymal signal intensity, signal-to-noise ratio and contrast-to-noise ratio. The final image acquisition parameters will be applied in the following 30 subjects in order to assess the outcomes of the study.