Evaluation of Regional Ventilation Using 19F MRI of Inert Perfluorinated Gases Mixed With Oxygen

The goal of this study is to evaluate the utilization of conventional 'thermally' polarized perfluorinated gas mixed with oxygen as an exogenous inert contrast agent to image the airway spaces in normal and diseased human lungs. This is an open label proof of concept study expanding on work by other groups in animals and ex-vivo human lungs and on studies in human subjects with such gases. Projection images (2-dimensional) and 3D images will be obtained using 19F MRI coupled with spirometry breathing maneuvers to correlate spirometry variables (e.g. FEV1 and FEV1/FVC) with regional distribution of the gas.