Mid-Term Report Summary - HYPERSINGLET (Hyperpolarized Singlet NMR) All matter contains atomic nuclei, and some of these nuclei are magnetic. The magnetism of these nuclei may be used to generate radiosignals, which can be detected using sensitive apparatus. Such signals are called nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) signals, and are exploited by scientists for many different purposes, including the generation of medical images, which is the basis of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Under most circumstances, these signals are very weak. However, techniques are now available which generate materials in states of hyperpolarization, which means that the nuclei are aligned with each other, giving rise to enormous enhancements of these radio signals. Such enhanced signals only last for about 30 seconds but have already been used for the detection of cancer. Our project is developing methods for causing these enhanced signals to last for a much longer time. We have already demonstrated effects in the laboratory where the enhanced signals last for 30 minutes instead of 30 seconds. We are developing new methods for generating enhanced NMR signals with long lifetimes, and for applying such methods to advances in medical physics, including MRI and clinical diagnosis. So far we have shown that it is possible to create chemical substances with greatly enhanced lifetimes for the hyperpolarized signals, and to generate MRI images using them. We have also shown that we can access these signals using labelling with stable and non-radioactive nuclear isotopes. We have also discovered a new type of long-lived state in methyl groups (CH3) which are commonly found in natural substances including many foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals, and natural products within the body.
