Patent ID: 7277775

Claim:
A computer program product for operating a hyperpolarized gas dispensing system having a gas flow path with a plurality of spaced apart remote-controlled actuated valves that open and close to direct the flow of gas therein and to close off at least one intermediate portion of the gas flow path having a known volume, the computer program product comprising: a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied in said medium, said computer-readable program code comprising: computer readable program code that obtains the pressure of a pressurized hyperpolarized gas source; computer readable program code that obtains the polarization level of the hyperpolarized gas held in the hyperpolarized gas source; computer readable program code the receives input about the desired formulation of hyperpolarized product, including at least one of: the target bolus volume; the desired bolus polarization level percentage or concentration; the type of gas(es) to be dispensed to form the bolus; and the size and/or type of the bolus container; computer readable program code that calculates the amount of hyperpolarized gas needed to produce the desired bolus formulation; computer readable program code that calculates the number of capture and release actuations of predetermined ones of the actuated valves needed to dispense the calculated amount; and computer readable program code that automatically transmits control signals to the predetermined ones of the remote actuated valves during operation of the dispensing system to cause selected valves to open and/or close at appropriate times so as to selectively temporarily close off a predetermined intermediate portion of the gas flow path having a known volume from the remainder of the gas flow path to capture a discrete amount of gas therein and to then rapidly open to release the captured discrete amount of gas therefrom.