A novel device for automatic withdrawal and accurate calibration of 99m-technetium radiopharmaceuticals to minimise radiation exposure to nuclear medicine staff and patient.
A Joint Automatic Dispenser Equipment (JADE) has been designed and fabricated for automatic withdrawal and calibration of radiopharmaceutical materials. The thermoluminescent dosemeter procedures have shown a reduction in dose to the technician's hand with this novel dose dispenser system JADE when compared with the manual withdrawal of (99m)Tc. This system helps to increase the precision of calibration and to minimise the radiation dose to the hands and body of the workers. This paper describes the structure of this device, its function and user-friendliness, and its efficacy. The efficacy of this device was determined by measuring the radiation dose delivered to the hands of the nuclear medicine laboratory technician. The user-friendliness of JADE has been examined. The automatic withdrawal and calibration offered by this system reduces the dose to the technician's hand to a level below the maximum permissible dose stipulated by the international protocols. This research will serve as a backbone for future study about the safe use of ionising radiation in medicine.
Department of Nuclear Engineering, Shiraz University, 71348-51154 Shiraz, Iran. mnazifi@snu.ac.kr
Mohammad
M
Nazififard
Simin
S
Mahdizadeh
A S
AS
Meigooni
M
M
Alavi
Kune Y
KY
Suh
D001331:Automation; D001822:Body Burden; D002138:Calibration; D005260:Female; D005385:Fingers / Q000528:radiation effects; D006225:Hand / Q000528:radiation effects; D006257:Head / Q000528:radiation effects; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009683:Nuclear Medicine; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011834:Radiation Monitoring; D011835:Radiation Protection / Q000295:instrumentation*; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013667:Technetium / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013819:Thermoluminescent Dosimetry; D000078329:Workforce
D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D013667:Technetium