Patent ID: 7357917

Claim:
A method for detecting atherosclerosis suitable for in vivo evaluations comprising: administering a first bolus of hyperpolarized 129 Xe gas in vivo to a patient so that said hyperpolarized 129 Xe travels to a region of interest; applying a first at least one excitation pulse to said first administered hyperpolarized 129 Xe in the region of interest; acquiring at least one first response signal spectrum presenting a response of said hyperpolarized 129 Xe to said at least one pulse via nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy; identifying at least one spectral region of interest in said first response signal spectrum; analyzing said at least one spectral region of interest in said first response signal spectrum; determining the presence of atherosclerotic plaques on the basis of the presence or absence of at least one spectral peak and/or at lest one selected feature of at least one spectral peak in the response signal spectrum based on said analyzing and identifying steps; providing a therapeutic agent to the patient to treat the atherosclerotic condition; then administering a second bolus of hyperpolarized 129 Xe gas in vivo to a patient so that said hyperpolarized 129 Xe travels to a region of interest; applying a second at least one excitation pulse to said second administered hyperpolarized 129 Xe in the region of interest; acquiring at least one second response signal spectrum representing the response of said hyperpolarized 129 Xe to said at least one pulse sequence via nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy; identifying at least one spectral region of interest ins aid second response signal spectrum; analyzing said at least one spectral region of interest in said second response signal; and evaluating the treatment efficacy of the therapeutic agent based on the first and second analyzing steps.