Federal Project Grant Award Summary

Wayne State University received a $756,148 Project Grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) under the Cardiovascular Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.837), awarded July 1, 2026, with completion targeted for March 31, 2030. The award supports development of next-generation enabling technologies for ultrafast functional pulmonary magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using hyperpolarized xenon-129 gas. The project addresses a critical clinical gap in lung disease imaging by advancing laser diode array technology and hyperpolarizer equipment design to reduce the cost and complexity of xenon-129 MRI systems, thereby facilitating widespread clinical adoption of this FDA-approved imaging modality for detecting and monitoring lung diseases including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, pulmonary fibrosis, and acute lung injury.

The research focuses specifically on optimizing the high-power laser diode arrays that serve as the central and most expensive component in xenon-129 hyperpolarizer devices. By improving laser bandwidth specifications and reducing equipment complexity, the funded work aims to lower technical and financial barriers to clinical implementation, enabling broader access to functional lung imaging capabilities that can assess regional ventilation, diffusion, gas exchange efficiency, and treatment response—parameters not available through conventional imaging modalities such as computed tomography, standard MRI, or chest radiography.