초록 ▼

A method is disclosed for providing a pure gas for use medical procedures in which the gas is contaminated with other gases during the procedure, and then separating the contaminants and recovering and reusing the decontaminated gas. The method is most advantageously used in medical imaging processe

A method is disclosed for providing a pure gas for use medical procedures in which the gas is contaminated with other gases during the procedure, and then separating the contaminants and recovering and reusing the decontaminated gas. The method is most advantageously used in medical imaging processes, such as magnetic resonance image (MRI), where hyperpolarized image enhancing noble gases, notably He3 or Xe129, are used for image enhancement in brain and lung imaging, and in which the contaminants are normally the exhalant gases from the imaged patient. The contaminated gas is passed through a series of drying and purification steps to remove the exhalant gases and separate the gas. The purified gas is then recovered and stored for reuse. This system prevents the loss of significant amounts of the image enhancing gases, which is important since key gases such as He3 and Xe129 are rare and expensive, and (especially He3) permanently lost once vented. Recovery of medical process gases such as those including isotopes of carbon, fluorine or phosphorus is also contemplated. High quality MR images of lung structures and processes and of brain functions can be obtained using the purified gases from this process.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A method for recovery and purification of a gas used to enhance a medical process, which comprises:a. passing said gas to said medical process and therein using said gas for enhancement of said process, use in said process also causing gaseous or liquid contaminants including water vapor, carbon

1. A method for recovery and purification of a gas used to enhance a medical process, which comprises:a. passing said gas to said medical process and therein using said gas for enhancement of said process, use in said process also causing gaseous or liquid contaminants including water vapor, carbon dioxide, oxygen or nitrogen, to become incorporated into said gas; b. collecting at least a portion of thus-contaminated gas; c. determining which said gaseous or liquid contaminants are contained in said gas; d. drying said contaminated gas to reduce said water concentration in said contaminated gas to not greater than 10 ppm, if said contaminated gas contains a water concentration; e. contacting said contaminated gas with a carbon dioxide absorbent to reduce said carbon dioxide concentration to not greater than 10 ppm, if said contaminated gas contains a carbon dioxide concentration; f. contacting said contaminated gas with an oxygen absorbent to reduce said oxygen concentration to not greater than 1 ppm, if said contaminated gas contains an oxygen concentration; g. contacting said contaminated gas with a nitrogen getter to reduce said nitrogen concentration to not greater than 1 ppm, if said contaminated gas contains a nitrogen concentration; h. reducing other non-noble gaseous contaminants to not greater than 10 ppm, if said contaminated gas contains said other non-noble gaseous contaminants; and i. collecting said gas after such decontamination for recycle to said medical process and subsequent reuse therein.