Irradiation Stability of Syringe and Valve Controllers of RadioGenix (TM) System.

摘要

NorthStar Medical Technologies has developed the RadioGenix (formerly known as TechneGen) Generator System, which allows nuclear pharmacies to provide 99mTc for critical medical procedures using low-specific-activity molybdenum-99 (Mo-99) as source material. Molybdenum-99 is the parent isotope of technetium-99m (Tc-99m), an element used in approximately 85% of diagnostic imaging procedures. The RadioGenix System allows for the efficient separation and dose preparation of Tc-99m from Mo-99. There is an interest in determining the lifetime of the components that are used in the system, in particular, the controllers used for the syringe and valves. We performed (1) Monte Carlo N-Particle Transport (MCNPX) calculations to predict the dose rates these components would receive during operation and (2) an experimental study to measure the radiation stability of these controllers using a 3 MeV Van de Graaff electron accelerator. A tungsten photon converter was attached to the beam window so that the electronic components were irradiated with photons rather than electrons.