PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Kaisti, Kaike K. AU - Mäkitalo, Jukka AU - Sipilä, Hannu T. AU - Teräs, Mika I.P. AU - Scheinin, Harry TI - Ventilator Add-On for Delivering PET Tracer Gases DP - 2004 Jun 01 TA - Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology PG - 79--82 VI - 32 IP - 2 4099 - http://tech.snmjournals.org/content/32/2/79.short 4100 - http://tech.snmjournals.org/content/32/2/79.full SO - J. Nucl. Med. Technol.2004 Jun 01; 32 AB - Objectives: The increasing use of PET for assessing cerebral blood flow, oxygen metabolism, and blood volume in critically ill patients has created a need for reliable technical solutions for delivering 15O-tracer gases to mechanically ventilated subjects. Our objective was to create such a solution. Methods: We designed a ventilator add-on unit that enables complex functional brain studies using labeled oxygen and carbon monoxide gases as tracers. The unit manages both steady-state and bolus inhalations, and the latter can be manually initiated using a remote trigger. All parts conducting breathing gases can be sterilized. The unit can be operated during both spontaneous pressure support breathing and volume-controlled ventilation. It supports the standard safety features and alarms of the ventilator and includes an overflow valve in the bolus reservoir. Results: The count rate curves obtained using the new unit were similar to those from the standard bag-inhalation method. Conclusion: The unit we describe offers an economical and easily operated solution for providing uninterrupted ventilator treatment while performing PET brain studies, and the provided treatment meets intensive care criteria.