title: A cost-effective and versatile xenon gas dispenser.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To modify a commercial xenon gas dispenser so that two xenon unit-dose vials could be combined with a modified dispenser to deliver a recommended dose.
  
  
  METHODS
  To maintain the same operating mechanism, changes were made only to the vial shield and the needle port of the original gas dispenser. The modified gas dispenser consisted of two puncture needles and two vial holders shielded with the same thickness of lead as the commercial dispenser.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our evaluation showed that the modified gas dispenser operated the same way as the commercial unit, and the average 133Xe residual activity in either one or two xenon unit-dose vials of the modified gas dispenser was not significantly different from that in one vial of the commercial xenon gas dispenser.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The modified xenon gas dispenser allows the stock of xenon gas vials to be managed cost-effectively. The modified unit can be used to dispense two low-activity xenon gas vials to deliver a standard dose to a patient. Also, the modified gas dispenser can be used to combine different amounts of xenon activity in two unit-dose vials in order to customize the dose delivered to patients with special needs (e.g., obese patients). Our modified device can also function as a single-dose dispenser by placing an empty vial alongside the unit-dose vial of radioactive xenon gas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota 55905, USA.
authors.forename: Joseph C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Hung
authors.forename: Warren N
authors.initials: WN
authors.lastname: Lenz
authors.forename: Terry L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Reed
authors.forename: Christopher G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: McGough
mesh_terms: D000280:Administration, Inhalation; D000336:Aerosols / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000191:economics; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D005740:Gases / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D009330:Nebulizers and Vaporizers / Q000191:economics*; D011868:Radioisotopes / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000191:economics; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000191:economics; D014978:Xenon / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000191:economics
chemical_list: D000336:Aerosols; D005740:Gases; D011868:Radioisotopes; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D014978:Xenon