[3] In medicine, octafluoropropane may compose the gas cores of microbubble contrast agents used in contrast-enhanced ultrasound.
Octafluoropropane microbubbles reflect sound waves well and are used to improve the ultrasound signal backscatter.
It is used in eye surgery, such as pars plana vitrectomy procedures where a retina hole or tear is repaired.
The gas provides a long-term tamponade, or plug, of a retinal hole or tear and allows re-attachment of the retina to occur over the several days following the procedure.
[4] It is the active liquid in PICO-2L dark matter bubble detector (joined PICASSO and COUPP collaborations).