XeCT System-2 allows physiological cerebral blood flow (CBF) measurments with your existing CT.

Xenon CT System-2 is used in the quantitative determination of CBF with equal accuracy in both cortical and deep brain tissue.  Xenon CT CBF provides direct anatomic correlation between flow and anatomy as seen on the CT images.  XeCT/CBF studies may be repeated at 15-20 minute intervals to follow rapidly occurring events, evaluate the effect of physiologic challenges (for example, to assess hemodynamic reserve) and to evaluate therapy.  XeCT/CBF provides physiological information not available from alternative CBF modalities.
Data produced by XeCT/CBF System-2 correlate well with data obtained using other CBF modalities in both animals and humans.

Xenon CT System-2 Components:

Enhancer 3000 gas delivery system with patient monitor is remotely controlled by the Xe/CT system computer and is mobile such that it can be moved between CT scanners. The control panel on top of the Enhancer 3000 provides an alternative to remote control from the CT operator's room.
The Xe/CT System-2 also includes the operator's console with high-speed personal computer, flat LCD monitor, trackball, high-resolution color printer and optical disk archive system.

When "Time is Brain" our technology delivers unsurpassed information to quantify your patient’s condition quickly and expedite appropriate treatment.

XeCT/CBF studies are useful in the early diagnosis and management of acute, subacute, and chronic stroke. The different etiologies of stroke require different management strategies. A CT image may not be altered for hours or days following an irreversible ischemic injury. A XeCT/CBF study may be performed immediately following the head CT, which most stroke patients undergo upon presentation to the hospital.  XeCT/CBF studies can differentiate between infarction and regions of low cerebral blood flow. This permits appropriate selection of patients who will benefit from thrombolytic therapy, and identification of other patients in whom therapy to increase flow or induce perfusion would likely result in no clinical benefit while carrying a risk of producing a hemorrhage. XeCT/CBF studies are beneficial in identifying flow below the threshold for irreversible ischemia (15mL/100g/min). Irreversible brain injury may be predicted with confidence if the absence of flow is observed 3 to 4 hours after injury onset. Irreversible ischemic flow within the brain stem, which is vital for supporting life function, may be defined soon after clinical deterioration, and aid in the definition of brain death. In addition, patients with low CBF (15mL/100g/min) may be candidates for acute aggressive interventions to augment flow and prevent conversion of a reversible to an irreversible ischemic region if identified prior to 3 to 4 hours post onset. In subacute disorders,  XeCT/CBF examination followed by a second study accompanied by a vasodilatory challenge may provide insight as to whether regions around infarction are at increased risk for converting to irreversibly injured tissue. In patients with intracerebral hemorrhage, identification of ischemia in brain tissue around the hemorrhage can help determine whether evacuation of the clot is indicated.  

XeCT/CBF studies are medically and neurologically safe.

Xenon gas used in XeCT/CBF studies is not radioactive.  Xenon is a metabolically inert, monatomic, lipid-soluble and readily diffusible tracer, that rapidly crosses the blood brain barrier and is preferentially distributed within the highly lipid cells of the brain. Despite its lack of chemical reactivity, xenon associates preferentially but transiently with red blood cells, particularly the globin structure.  There is no evidence that exposure to 26%  xenon for 4.5 minutes can cause significant adverse local or systemic effects in humans. Sensory changes occur in some patients, and are usually benign and transient. The most common effects are euphoria and lightheadedness. The incidence of respiratory depression is extremely low and is easily reversed by the monitoring staff reminding the patient to breathe.