Venti-Scan Physics Test Reports

Shielding Evaluation for the Venti-Scan IV Canister

Report prepared by: Lucian Wielopolski, Ph.D.
Date: 6/15/01

Method

Venti-Scan Physics Test Reports

Shielding Evaluation for the Venti-Scan IV Canister

Report prepared by: Lucian Wielopolski, Ph.D.
Date: 6/15/01

Method

A small, 0.5 cc, plastic syringe containing a 30 mCi Tc-99m source was measured in a shielded and unshielded environment. The syringe was housed in a lead pig, on contact the reading outside the pig was 0.2 mR/hr, slightly above background conditions that were <0.2 mR/h. The unshielded syringe measured gamma on contact of 1400 mR/h and at about 1″ 60 mR/h.

The instrument used for these and subsequent measurements was an Eberline Model RO-2 Ion Chamber Survey Meter. The syringe with the source was placed inside the Venti-Scan IV canister. Gamma and gamma plus beta readings were taken in contact with the outside of the canister and about 12″ away.

Conclusion

The Venti-Scan canister provides complete patient and technologist shielding for use as a delivery system for performing lung ventilation studies in a nuclear medicine environment. As noted in this study at a distance of 12″ virtually no radiation reading was recorded, except in the obvious case 7 with the top cover open. Thus, this canister provides minimal exposure to both patient and technologist.

Measurements Points

The following nine points were used to determine the effectiveness of the shielding of the canister:

Above opening of patient delivery tube.130-691 Illustration

 

Table 1. Summary of the canister shielding readings.

Location Point  1  2 3  4  5  6  7  8  9
Contact:                  
Gamma:  0.5  <0.2 <0.2  1.0 0  0 14  0.2  0.8
Gamma + Beta:  1.0 <0.2 <0.2 5.0 0  0 30  0.2  0.8
12″ Away:                  
Gamma:  <0.2  0  0 0.2 0  0 8 <0.2  0.2
Gamma + Beta: <0.2  0 0  0.3 0  0  10  <0.2 0.2

* Somewhat elevated readings in position 4 stem from the fact that the source was held in a plastic syringe that was inserted in a place that normally is occupied by a plastic nebulizer. Consequently, the source was located somewhat higher and less spaced out than it would be when using a nebulizer resulting in a larger solid angle toward the opening of the delivery tube. 

Trapping Efficiency of Venti-Scan Filters

Lucien Wielopolski, PhD.

Introduction

The purpose of this evaluation was to test and compare the trapping efficiencies of the filters used in the Venti-Scan II, and the Venti-Scan III or Venti-Scan IV Radioaerosol Disposables. The Venti-Scan III and Venti-Scan IV use the same pleated HEPA filters for a trap.

The Venti-Scan III and Venti-Scan IV filter uses a pleated HEPA filter and the Venti-Scan II uses a traditional flat filter media. The primary filter is the filter that is normally supplied with the Venti-Scan disposable. The secondary test filter was always a HEPA filter placed onto the exhaust port of the primary filter. All secondary filters were from the same manufacturing lot to eliminate variation of filter media.

Method

Venti-Scan II disposable assemblies were used for testing the filters. The primary filter was mounted in the standard position for each test. The tests were performed using either the Venti-Scan II or III and IV filter as the primary filter.

A blower was connected to the hose where the mouthpiece normally is located to simulate a patient. A constant rate was set for the blower during all tests.

The oxygen flow of 5 liters/minute was maintained through the nebulizer. The same nebulizer, filled with approximately 6cc of 6 mCi of Tc-99m labeled DTPA, was used for all measurements thus eliminating any potential variability in the nebulizers.

The filters, both primary and secondary, were exposed for 5 minutes to the nebulized Tc-99m DTPA.

For counting purposes the whole filter was inserted into a dose calibrator. The background count was 0.03 µCi. Results are listed in µCI read in the dose calibrator.

Test Set A used the Venti-Scan II filter/trap as the primary filter and Test Set B used the Venti-Scan III and Venti-Scan IV filter/trap as the primary filter.

Results

Set A (Venti-Scan II)

Primary Filter Activity
in µCI
Secondary Filter Activity
in µCI
Ratio % of Activity Trapped in Primary Filter % of Activity Trapped in Secondary Filter
237 0.20 1185 99.916% .084%
257 0.13 1977 99.949% .051%
261 0.20 1305 99.923% .077%
321 0.15 2140 99.953% .047%
251 0.12 2092 99.952% .048%
  Mean:
S.D.:
1740
458
   
  Primary filter activity
Ratio =
  Secondary filter activity

 

   Primary filter activity – Secondary filter activity  
% of Activity Trapped
in Primary Filter =

 Primary activity

 X 100

 

Set B (Venti-Scan III and Venti-Scan IV)

Primary Filter Activity in µCI Secondary Filter Activity
in µCI
Ratio % of Activity Trapped in Primary Filter % of Activity Trapped in Secondary Filter
260 0.06 4333 99.977% .023%
248 0.05 4958 99.98% .020%
245 0.06 4083 99.976% .024%
238 0.08 2975 99.966% .034%
  Mean:
SD:
4087
827
   

Conclusion

These are relative evaluations of the filters. It appears that the Venti-Scan III and Venti-Scan IV filter/trap is slightly better than the Venti-Scan II filter/trap. Both filters had greater than 99.9% trappings. It should be noted that the secondary filter readings are close to the background readings which fluctuates, and the primary filter retensions are all similar. Thus it can be concluded that both filters have similar trapping efficiencies with the Venti-Scan IV filter possibly slightly better. Note the small sample size.

Venti-Scan III Particle Size Test

Robert J. Perry, B.S.
Department of Medicine
Pulmonary Disease Division
SUNY Stony Brook
HSC T-17 Rm 040
Stony Brook, NY 11794-8172
Jonathan S. Ilowite, M.D.
Winthrop University Hospital
Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine
Director, Pulmonary Rehabilitation
Medical Director, Respiratory Therapy
222 Station Plaza North Suite 400
Mineola, NY 11501

Introduction

The following report summarizes our analysis of the Biodex Venti-Scan III (#177-080) disposable radioaerosol system for ventilation scanning studies. Using an Andersen cascade impactor we determined the mean particle size of the technetium 99m-DTPA aerosol produced by six units from lot #014504 under the following testing parameters.
NOTE: The Venti-Scan IV uses the same nebulizer Tee filter and tubing configuration as the Venti-Scan III.

Method

Nebulizer solution: 2 cc’s Tc-99m DTPA
Nebulizer flow: 10 liters/minute @50 psi
System ventilation: 15 bpm via Harvard pump @ 600 cc’s

Results

All six systems produced essentially the same size Tc-99m DTPA aerosol as illustrated in the average graph of aerosol diameter vs. cumulative percent.

Mean MMAD: 0.50 microns ±0.01 (S.D.)
Range: 0.48-0.52
Mean GSD: 1.8 (polydispersed)

This highly reproducible aerosol particle size is desirable for the deep lung penetration required in nuclear medicine lung ventilation studies.

In addition, one system was tested for filter efficiency in trapping the Tc-99m DTPA aerosol. With the T-piece plugged, aerosol was run through the HEPA filter followed by an absolute filter for a total of 5 minutes. There was no Tc-99m activity detected on the absolute filter indicating a HEPA filter efficiency of 100% in the one unit tested. It is not known however if this preliminary result can be extrapolated to represent a group of this type of filter without further confirmation in a formal study. Depending on the quality control during production of these filters it seems likely that they are very efficient.

Vent-Scan III

Venti-Scan III Particle Size Test