Oxygent™; A Novel Probe of Tissue Oxygen Tension

Abstract

We have examined the 19F NMR spectrum and relaxation behavior of Oxygent (an emulsion of perfluorooctylbromide). Each of the resonances exhibits a linear relationship between spin-lattice relaxation rate and oxygen tension at constant temperature. Oxygent provides enhanced sensitivity to changes in oxygen tension compared with other emulsions used previously. We have used Oxygent to determine the oxygen tension in the liver of a mouse.