NoVANT
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Non-invasive assessment of air leak in pneumothorax using Hyperpolarised Xenon MRI
IRAS ID
346856
Contact name
Robert Hallifax
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Oxford/Research Governance, Ethics and Assurance
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Aim:
NoVANT study will aim to explore if the inhaled Hyperpolarised Xenon (HPX) gas followed by an MRI chest can help to detect air leak in pneumothorax.Background:
Pneumothorax is a collection of air between the lung and chest wall due to a hole in the lung. This leads to lung collapse with symptoms of breathlessness and chest pain. The treatment of pneumothorax involves the drainage of air using a needle or a plastic tube (chest drain). The aim of drainage is to re-inflate the lung while the hole in the lung heals on its own to stop the air leak. There is currently no method of determining an active air leak without inserting a chest drain. If we develop a technique to find out without a chest drain that the leak has stopped, the patient will not need chest drainage as the residual air will disappear with time. The treatment with chest drain will only be required in patients who have an ongoing air leak hence allowing quick decision making and avoiding unnecessary interventions. This will be a major breakthrough in the management of pneumothorax.Design and methods:
The study will recruit up to a maximum of 12 patients over a 12-month recruitment period. Any adult patient with an acute pneumothorax will be eligible for the study. Each participant will undergo HPX gas inhalation followed by an MRI scan to see if the air leak can be detected. HPX gas is safe for inhalation and the MRI scan has no risk of radiation exposure.The participant’s clinical and radiological data will be collected at the time of recruitment in the study. A telephone follow-up at 1 month will be conducted to assess the clinical course of pneumothorax. A 6 month follow-up from medical notes may be conducted for recurrences, if clinically indicated.REC name
North East - Tyne & Wear South Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
25/NE/0020
Date of REC Opinion
20 Jan 2025
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion