We are all fascinated by balloons and seeing how they fly freely into the sky, in the same way that we like to laugh at the hundreds of funny videos on the internet of people speaking in shrill voices, like those remembered Alvin and the Chipmunks. But perhaps the vast majority are unaware that this occurs thanks to the use of a gas called helium.
While helium is the second most abundant element in the universe, on Earth the situation is quite different, as there is no way to produce it artificially, it can only be processed as a by-product of natural gas extraction. This is a great limitation, considering that its real uses go far beyond its intimate history with children’s parties.
Among the thousands of processes that require this gas are cryogenics, the cooling of infrared detectors and nuclear reactors, and its use in monitors to detect radiation in antiterrorist activities. It is also used to inflate military and weather airships, clean up potentially explosive fuel debris from NASA rockets, and cool superconducting magnets used in magnetic resonance imaging equipment, among others.
The last mentioned point is quite sensitive and today it is facing a global shortage of helium and other elements such as iodinated contrast media, which has put the medical and scientific world on alert and is very concerned.
Many processes and little helium
Helium is a non-renewable element that, as mentioned, cannot be produced artificially and unfortunately it is running out. Important reserves of this gas are found in the United States, Russia and South Africa, but in addition to the great fire at the plant in Eastern Russia that paralyzed its extraction, the war with Ukraine has reduced the export of this valuable element.
“Helium in its liquid form is necessary for the operation of magnetic resonators, because in that state it is the coldest element on Earth; therefore, it is capable of allowing the current to work properly in these equipments. It is said that more or less the consumption of helium in resonances is 20% worldwide, but in the United States this number reaches 31%. The scarcity and other factors such as the war between Ukraine and Russia have made reserves very limited, so the price of helium has risen approximately 30% in recent years.”says Pamela Fuentes, Clinical Application Specialist CT – MR at Philips Health Systems Pacific.
Likewise, the Philips specialist adds that “although it hasn’t happened yet, there is going to be a point where helium is going to be so scarce that there will probably be a significant number of teams that will have to stop, and that means longer wait times for patients who require tests”.
In this sense, and acting quickly, several companies have focused on the generation of new technologies that reduce the use of this valuable gas in the operation of magnetic resonance equipment. “Philips, for example, has developed BlueSeal technology, which uses 0.5% of the helium required by most of this equipment. In general, 1,500 liters of helium are needed to operate an MRI, but with this innovation, only 7 liters are used for proper and normal operation. This is achieved thanks to a completely sealed system, which prevents helium from leaking and therefore never has to be recharged again, which also provides lower maintenance costs for the medical center.”, says Pamela Fuentes.
Contrast media, a crossroads to solve with technology
Another serious and silent problem facing the health sector worldwide is the shortage of iodinated contrast media, a substance that is used in performing tests such as computed tomography and scanners. Although in this case the inconvenience is not related to its extraction, it has had industrial conflicts in the molecular synthesis process, which has been aggravated by the closure of production plants due to the global epidemic of Covid-19.
Marcelo Castro, radiologist and head of Imaging at Clínica Indisa, indicates that “It is important to note that there are two types of contrast media, those used in scanners and those used in MRI. The most commonly used are the first, which in this case are iodine-based, since this element allows us to better define anatomical structures, which implies seeing how the organs and vessels are irrigated, allowing us to differentiate normal findings from those of pathological origin. In the case of magnetic resonances, gadolibnium is used”.
Currently, iodinated contrast media are of the utmost importance for the health sector, as they already constitute a fundamental tool to improve the medical diagnostic process and increase the performance of tomographs and scanners. Thus, 50% of brain or nervous system scans require iodinated contrast media, 30% of chest scans and 80% of abdomen and pelvis scans. “When one asks the patient for a scan, the contrast medium should be used more or less in the middle of the scan, with the aim of improving the performance of the imaging equipment. As a doctor I can do a scan without contrast, but it will not be as precise and accurate as if we were using it”, points out Marcelo Castro.
And he adds that “the use of contrast is a basic and indispensable requirement for clinical diagnosis in radiology. We cannot do without its use, because this translates into a significant drop in diagnostic performance.. In any case, he warns thatiodinated contrast media are not safe for the patient, since they can develop a severe allergic reaction. And those with some type of kidney damage or chronic hypertensives are especially careful, since the use of these elements can further alter the kidney and lead them to end up with acute renal failure.”.
Faced with this problem, new technologies have allowed the incorporation of equipment that allows patients to use smaller amounts of contrast media, since they are faster and more efficient. “The faster the equipment, the shorter the study lasts, making it possible to reduce the time that the contrast medium is circulating through the body. On the other hand, we currently have computed tomography, which is the exam that requires the least amount of contrast.”, comments Dr. Castro.
Finally, he points out that “The development of spectral computed tomography equipment makes it possible to study the patient in a different way, since they contemplate a very low use of iodinated contrast media to process and analyze the images in a deep and accurate way, delivering a truly effective diagnosis in less time.”.
