Oxygen 15-labeled Oxygen

**Semantic type:** Pharmacologic Substance

**Definition:** A radiopharmaceutical comprised of oxygen-15 labeled oxygen (15O-O2) used as a tracer molecule during positron emission tomography (PET). Upon inhalation, 15O-O2 binds to hemoglobin in the blood and the labeled red blood cells distribute throughout the vasculature in the body. Upon PET imaging, 15O-O2 can be used to determine both the oxygen extraction fraction (OEF) and the metabolic rate of oxygen.

**Synonyms:** - 15O-O2 - 15O-labeled Molecular Oxygen - 15O2 - O2-15