Xenon spill distribution and room clearance.

Abstract

The purpose of these studies was to investigate actual xenon gas clearance times under different exhaust conditions, to compare them with the calculated clearance times, to observe the distribution of the xenon gas while it was being exhausted from the room, and to determine the cause of a stationary xenon cloud that appeared on some clinical images. Clearance times with and without a flexible exhaust hose placed next to a simulated 133Xe gas spill were compared with clearance times measured in a room with all exhaust closed off. Two gamma cameras were used to observe the transport and exhaust of xenon following a simulated spill. Clearance times with the flexible exhaust hose were less than one minute because the xenon gas was removed before it had a chance to disperse into the room. Conventional room clearance calculations based on uniform mixing and measured exhaust rates yielded a clearance time of 22 min. The source of an artifactual stationary cloud image was discovered to be a small amount of xenon trapped between the collimator and camera face. A negative pressure and dedicated exhaust can be even more effective in exhausting spilled xenon from a room than air transfer calculations predict. The authors believe the flexible hose should always be used.