Aerosol penetration ratio: a new index of ventilation.

Superimposition of nuclear medicine scintigrams and standard radiographs provides a unique opportunity for merging functional information intrinsic to nuclear medicine images with the high resolution anatomic detail of radiographs. A newly developed image processing system allows the merging of two separate films of greatly varying sizes to form a single composite image. Subsequent quantitative analysis of the composite image may be performed. Using the superimposition technique, [99mTc]DTPA aerosol ventilation scans (4.5 X 4.5 cm) were superimposed upon chest radiographs (35.6 X 43.2 cm) in 17 cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. Subsequent quantification of the area of nuclear scan ventilation and the radiographic lung area was then performed. A new quantitative radiologic index of ventilation, the aerosol penetration ratio (APR), was defined. Linear correlation of aerosol penetration ratio with residual volume (RV) as percent of total lung capacity (TLC) measured by body plethysmography was good. We conclude that the APR has validity as a physiologic parameter which localized regional excessive residual volume and correlates well with RV/TLC, the "gold standard" pulmonary function index of obstructive airway disease.

Effect of ethanol on droplet size, efficiency of delivery, and clearance characteristics of technetium-99m DTPA aerosol.

With recent technical advances in aerosol technology, the study of regional ventilation using [99mTc]DTPA aerosol has become increasingly popular. Using a cascade impactor, we have assessed droplet size distribution from a newly designed nebulizer. Delivery efficiency of [99mTc]DTPA aerosol to normal subjects was improved 70% with a 10% concentration of ethanol in the nebulizer. Using filter paper fixed to the delivery end of the aerosol device, and varying ethanol concentrations from 0-10%, an 87% increase of deposited radioactivity is measured. Use of higher concentration of ethanol to the nebulizer solution did not further improve delivery efficiency. The addition of ethanol did not alter clearance characteristics of [99mTc]DTPA from the lung nor did it affect droplet size distribution.