pnis is a nonimaging scintillation probe designed to measure penile blood pool studies in a noninvasive and painless manner. It consists of a plastic well-type scintillation crystal and a portable computer that acquires and processes the scintillation data. pnis has several advantages over other methods of penile measurement, such as the gamma-camera, including its significantly increased count rate sensitivity, which results in improved temporal resolution and decreased radiopharmaceutical dosage. Additionally, pnis is portable, economical, and not dependent on operator-defined regions of interest. pnis is also relatively constant within the bore, with the exception of the proximal region adjacent to the opening, where geometric efficiency is reduced.
pnis is an effective device for measuring penile activity in radionuclide studies, allowing for acquisition of time-activity curves of the penis during flaccid washin of peripherally labeled red blood cells and after pharmacologic stimulation to induce erection. pnis provides a means to safely and noninvasively monitor penile blood flow, which is crucial for assessing the health and function of the penis.
