xenon

Xenon is a colorless, odorless, tasteless noble gas that is chemically non-reactive and naturally present in the atmosphere. In medicine, it is used as an inhaled anesthetic for general anesthesia due to its rapid onset and offset of action, stable cardiovascular effects (maintaining blood pressure and heart rate), and neuroprotective properties. Xenon acts as an NMDA receptor antagonist, which contributes to its anesthetic and neuroprotective effects. It is also used in diagnostic imaging—specifically as a radioactive agent (xenon-133) for lung function evaluation and cerebral blood flow assessment, or as hyperpolarized xenon-129 for advanced MRI lung imaging[2][5][6]. Unlike other inhalational anesthetics, xenon does not contribute to greenhouse gas emissions or environmental harm[2].

Brand names

LENOXe

Other names

xenon gasXe