title: Reusable gels for germanium-68 sources.
abstract: Two water-soluble gels, gelatin and Carbowax, were mixed with radioactive 68Ge solutions and evaluated for their use as long-lived (half-life, 280 days) radioactive sources. These gels melt at 40-50 degrees C and solidify at room temperature. The amount of 68Ge mixed with them can be increased or decreased as needed, eliminating waste of 68Ge. These gel sources also may replace short-lived 68Ga (half-life 68 min) as attenuation correction sources in positron emission tomography (PET) and reduce frequency of source preparation, thus reducing exposure of PET operators to radiation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston 77030.
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Tilbury
authors.forename: W F
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Broussard
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Youngerman
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.forename: E E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D005780:Gelatin; D005782:Gels; D005857:Germanium / Q000737:chemistry*; D011868:Radioisotopes / Q000737:chemistry*; D013696:Temperature; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed; D014885:Waxes
chemical_list: D005782:Gels; D011868:Radioisotopes; D014885:Waxes; D005857:Germanium; D005780:Gelatin