Hyperpolarized 19F-MRI: parahydrogen-induced polarization and field variation enable 19F-MRI at low spin density.

The use of parahydrogen-induced polarization (PHIP) for signal enhancement in nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) is well established. Recently, this method has been adopted to increase the sensitivity of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The transfer of non-thermal spin hyperpolarization--from parahydrogen to a heteronucleus--provides better contrast, thus enabling new imaging agents.