1. Medical Uses of Helium
Helium is the second element on the periodic table. Both colorless and odorless, it does not react
very well with other substances, making it a stable element to work with. Helium is scarce in the
atmosphere and according to David G. Haase on the website Chemistry Explained, the element is
usually obtained by separating it from natural gas found in underground wells. An isotope of helium,
helium-3, can be obtained from the nuclear decay of tritium, a compound found in nuclear reactors
and warheads, though helium-3 is nonradioactive.
Types of Helium in Medicine
Helium comes in a variety of forms. It is most commonly found on earth with two protons, two
electrons and two neutrons. Helium has several isotopes. Helium-3 has the same amount of protons
http://vagueinsom381.livejournal.com/687.html and electrons as regular helium, but one neutron. It
is produced by the decay of radioactive tritium and is useful in nuclear medicine applications.
Besides the gaseous form, liquid helium is also used with medical instrumentation.
Helium in Medicine
In a 1995 article in the Journal of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering titled "Method and Curative
Effects of Helium in Clinical Medicine" E. G. Kostylev states that helium-oxygen mixtures can be
used in the treatment of acute and chronic respiratory diseases. Machines that provide artificial
respiration also utilize helium-oxygen mixtures. Adding helium lets the oxygen mixture reach the
lungs with less pressure.
Liquid helium is frequently used in magnetic resonance imaging ( MRI), a scanning technology that
gives doctors the ability to view internal body structures. Because of its low boiling point (-269oC),
helium in its liquid form is used to bring the temperature of MRI magnets down. Magnets at
extremely low temperatures lose their electrical resistance and gain superconductive properties.
This allows the MRI's to generate images for doctors. Liquid helium is also used in cryogenics.
Cryogenics involves taking materials down to extremely low temperatures. The process may be used
in the preservation of biological samples such as blood or semen.
2. Potential Medical Uses
The non-radioactive isotope of helium, helium-3, may be important in the observation of breathing.
In an article entitled "Hyperpolarized Helium 3 Diffusion Imaging of the Lung" (Radiology) authors
John Mayo, MD and Michael Hayden, PhD describe the use of helium-3 in MRI's of lung airways.
This might be useful in the treatment of diseases like asthma, emphysema or chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease, where lungs are obstructed due to inflammation, scarring, mucous build up or
loss of elasticity.
Administered in the right amounts, helium can be a valuable ally in medicine.
