In 2008 the MR department of Hvidovre Hospital received a generous donation of 4 million Danish kroner from the Simon Spies Foundation. The donation was given to develop a brand new and unique method to measure the metabolism of the human body. Using an ultra-strong magnet, microwaves and a temperature of minus 272 degrees Celsius it is possible to magnetize organic compounds involved in the human metabolism. The temperature of the magnetic sample is rapidly increased to that of the human body and will stay magnetic for a few minutes. When injecting the magnetic sample is then injected into the body it is possible to visualize the degradation of the sample into other chemical compounds using MR scanning. This method is known as hyperpolarization and it is a unique way of investigating the metabolism. Hyperpolarization has led to new possibilities within the diagnostics of tumors and the assessment of damage following thrombi.

These new possibilities will pave the way for better assessment of the effects of i.e. cancer treatment which will not only ensure that the patients receive the right treatment but it may also lead to the development of new treatments.

Since its introduction the method of hyperpolarization has gained huge international attention, yet it is only used by a few research facilities throughout the world. However, even though the method is still only applied in research it has proved to be very useful to increase our knowledge of various processes in the human body. Further research will investigate whether or not the method can also function as a diagnostic tool.

The donation was given on the occasion of the 25 years anniversary of the Simon Spies Foundation. The Simon Spies Foundation has with the donation of three MR scanners to Hvidovre Hospital contributed to making Denmark one of the leading countries within MR scanning. Simon Spies donated in 1984 Denmark’s first MR scanner to Hvidovre Hospital when the technique was still brand-new. At the same time the Danish Research Center of Magnetic Resonance (DRCMR) was established at Hvidovre Hospital. Since then the technique of MR scanning has revolutionized the diagnostic of a brought range of diseases and the technique is now applied at all the large hospitals.