Table 2.

Summary of the key differences between techniques.

	HP-MRI	19F-MRI	OE-MRI	FD-MRI/PREFUL
Implementation
Set-up cost	++++	+++	+	+
Skilled personnel	++++	+++	+	+
Post-processing	++++	++++	++++	++++
Aspects of lung function assessed
Ventilation	Yes	Yes	Yes*	Yes*
Microstructure	Yes	No	No	No
Gas exchange	Yes	No	Possibly†	No
Perfusion	No	No	Possibly†	Yes
Patient factors
Breath-hold requirement	Yes‡	Yes‡	No	No
Scanning time	+	++	+++	+
Ionizing radiation	No	No	No	No
Image resolution
Spatial resolution	++++	+++	+	+++
Temporal resolution	NA	NA	+	++++

¹⁹F, fluorine-19; FD, Fourier decomposition; HP, hyperpolarized gas; MRI, magnetic resonance imaging; OE, oxygen-enhanced; PREFUL, phased-resolved functional lung.

^*These methods can only provide an indirect measure of ventilation.

^†Signal derived from OE-MRI represents a combination of ventilation, diffusion and perfusion.

^‡Limited or no breath hold may be possible with dynamic ventilation.