This article is by Andreas Voskrebenzev, Ph.D.; Filip Klimeš, Ph.D.; and Jens Vogel-Claussen, M.D. (Hannover Medical School and BREATH - Biomedical Research in End-Stage and Obstructive Lung Disease (BREATH), Member of the Deutsches Zentrum für Lungenforschung (DZL), Hannover, Germany). Chronic pulmonary diseases —such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cystic fibrosis (CF), and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) – require accurate and sensitive diagnostic techniques to monitor progression and therapeutic response. Traditional pulmonary function tests (PFTs), including the Tiffeneau-Pinelli index, provide global lung function parameters but lack the capacity to map region-specific changes. Imaging approaches like computed tomography (CT) or single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) can visualize lung morphology and function but inevitably involve ionizing radiation, making repeated examinations challenging. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) offers a promising, radiation-free alternative for lung function assessment. PREFUL MRI provides a robust, radiation-free means of assessing ventilation and perfusion in a single free-breathing scan. Validation studies have consistently shown strong concordance with established methods like SPECT, DCE, and hyperpolarized gas MRI, underscoring its clinical potential. PREFUL technology will be available soon under the product name LungMaps as a postprocessing application for MRI scanners from Siemens Healthineers.

Phase-Resolved Functional Lung (PREFUL) #MRI: The Next-Generation Ventilation-Perfusion Scan?
Learn more about the radiation-free alternative for lung function assessment at www.magnetomworld.siemens-healthineers.com/clinical-cor...

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