Abstract
By imaging gel column chromatograms of 99mTc-labeled radiopharmaceuticals it becomes possible to assess radiochemical purity within a few minutes after preparation. The images can be compared to images of pure compounds to determine the amounts of common radiochemical impurities such as free pertechnetate, insoluble hydrolyzed 99mTc, as well as various 99mTc complexes. If the images are obtained with a scintillation camera interfaced to a computer, automatic analysis of up to six compounds can be made. The computer can be programmed to report the percentages of the various radiopharmaceuticals and impurities and give a decision as to whether each preparation is acceptable for clinical use. The quality control testing of the radiopharmaceutical can be integrated with other daily quality control tests of the scintillation camera to give a “go” or “no go” decision as to the acceptability of the total imaging system. Such a quality control system is proposed and preliminary considerations and feasibility studies are reported.
Footnotes
↵* Present address: University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131.
