The UAB Center for Lung Analytics and Imaging Research (CLAIR), in collaboration with the Research MRI Core (RMRIC), has successfully performed the first Xenon-129 MRI lung imaging at UAB.

This achievement, led by Surya Bhatt, M.D., director of CLAIR, and Mark Bolding, Ph.D., MRI director of CLAIR and RMRIC physicist, positions UAB as the only facility in the region with this revolutionary FDA-approved technology.

"This isn't just a new scan; it is a game-changer,” said Bolding. “With a single 10-second breath-hold and zero radiation, we are now able to map lung function at the molecular level."

Xenon MRI uses hyperpolarized xenon gas to create detailed functional images of lung ventilation without ionizing radiation, making it safe for both adults and children. The technology, implemented using  state-of-the-art hyperpolarizer system, enables visualization of ventilation defects and gas exchange abnormalities invisible to conventional imaging. This opens unprecedented opportunities for early disease detection, treatment monitoring, and research into conditions including COPD, asthma, cystic fibrosis, and post-COVID lung complications.