There are two types of lung scans. A lung perfusion scan is a nuclear medicine test that provides your doctor with a picture of blood flow to the lungs. A lung ventilation scan tells you doctor how capable your lungs are of taking in air and uses radiopharmaceuticals to produce a picture of how air is distributed in the lungs.
In most cases, lung perfusion scans and lung ventilation scans are done at the same time. These tests are performed to detect pulmonary embolisms, determine how much blood is flowing to lungs, determine which areas of the lungs are capable of ventilation, and to determine how well the lungs are functioning after surgery.
In a lung perfusion scan, a small amount of the protein labeled with a radioisotope is injected into your hand or arm vein. You will be positioned under a special camera that can detect radioactive material, and a series of photographs will be made of your chest. When these images are projected onto the screen called the oscilloscope, they will show how the radioactive protein has been distributed by the blood vessels running through the lungs.
In a lung ventilation scan, a mask will be placed over your nose and mouth, and you will be asked to inhale and exhale a combination of air and radioactive gas. Pictures are then taken that show the distribution of the gas in your lungs. Each test takes 15-30 minutes.
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HeartScan is a leading service provider of non-invasive preventative and diagnostic services that will help you towards your goal of a healthier life.
HeartScan uses Electron Beam Tomography (EBT or EBCT) technology, a non-invasive diagnostic imaging tool, to screen patients for several leading causes of death. The EBT scanner is an extremely fast, ultra low radiation diagnostic imaging tool that can take cardiac and other images between heartbeats. Special software manipulates these images to give your physician a clear picture of each scanned organ.
EBT is the undisputed gold standard in non-invasive coronary imaging with years of scientific validation in cardiology and radiology literature (many times faster than slower, less-proven, mechanical CT scanners) and is used at many of the major university heart centers worldwide.
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