Gel generator: A viable alternative source of super(99m)Tc for nuclear medicine

The majority of the world's supply of super(99m)Tc is derived from generators in which fission produced super(99)Mo is adsorbed on to alumina. While such systems consistently produce super(99m)Tc with excellent physico-chemical and biomedical properties, their manufacturing processes, commencin...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Applied radiation and isotopes 1997-08, Vol.48 (8), p.1027-1033
Main Author: Boyd, R E
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Molybdenum
Radioactive tracers
Technetium
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:The majority of the world's supply of super(99m)Tc is derived from generators in which fission produced super(99)Mo is adsorbed on to alumina. While such systems consistently produce super(99m)Tc with excellent physico-chemical and biomedical properties, their manufacturing processes, commencing with the irradiation of super(235)U, involve numerous complications with the result that few organizations, worldwide, are willing to participate in such an endeavour, despite the size of the market (>$US 100,000,000 per annum). Encouraging results from basic research on an alternative generator system, based upon zirconium molybdate gel prepared from neutron irradiated molybdenum trioxide, was the stimulus for the decision to build a small pilot plant at Lucas Heights to manufacture the new generator under conditions akin to routine production. From this series of generators, a database of comprehensive performance characteristics has been constructed to show that, indeed, (n, gamma ) super(99)Mo can be successfully exploited to provide an acceptable source of super(99m)Tc for use in both nuclear medicine clinics and centralized radiopharmacies.
ISSN:0969-8043