New Research Taps Xenon Gas For Treatment of Lung Diseases
Friday, January 8th, 2010Innovative specialty gases applications for 
medical use continue to foster exciting new markets for the gases and welding industry.
The latest example comes from Great Britain, where a team of scientists and clinicians at the University of Nottingham are developing a new type of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan for the treatment of chronic lung disease and asthma.
According to a report in Science Daily, The unit will allow doctors to “virtually” view the lungs of patients with the scanner by using a specially-treated harmless gas—Xenon 129—which the patient is given to inhale. Unlike air, the Xenon 129 gas shows up clearly on an MRI scan, giving a detailed picture of damaged and healthy lung areas.
The xenon is “hyperpolarized” with lasers, which make the gas particles detectable in the MRI scanner. While the technique was tried previously using Helium 3, Science Daily reports that Helium 3 is difficult to obtain and is unsuitable for routine clinical work. Xenon 129, on the other hand, is easy to obtain and has the potential to be used widely in clinical settings.
Along with MRI scanning, the new method will further track the xenon gas as it is absorbed into the bloodstream. This will give doctors a clear idea of how well or badly the different parts of the lungs are transferring life-sustaining oxygen. The scans could also be used to guide treatment or aid surgeons performing lung reduction operations.
Diseases to be studied include asthma, lung fibrosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
At present, X-rays or CAT scans are used to investigate lung diseases, which only show the structure of the lung and don’t reveal any detail on how well the lungs are functioning. They also involve a small exposure to radiation which can limit repeat scanning.
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