Experience with instrumental methods in radiopharmacy as a tool of radiation protection optimization

Background: The purpose of our study is to evaluate the effect of instrumental methods in radiopharmacy on radiation exposure of the staff preparing radiopharmaceuticals. Methods: Instrumental methods in radiopharmacy are used since 2004 as a tool of radiation protection optimization for the pharmacists after positron-emission tomography (PET) introduction to the department of nuclear medicine of Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute (MMCI) in 2003. During 14 years of providing PET radiopharmaceuticals, different equipment and processes were used—DDS-A, &mgr;DDS-A and KARl100 (all Tema Sinergie). The increase in a number of instrumental equipment—2 &mgr;DDS-A and 1 KARl100, allows preparing 3 different radiopharmaceutical for PET (either [18F]FDG, [18F]FLT, [18F]NaF, [18F]choline, [18F]Vizamyl, [18C]methionine) in 1 day. The radiation exposure to the radiopharmacists was evaluated from ring dosimeters. Results: The introduction of PET in 2003 led to rise of the radiation dose over legislation limits to the radiopharmacists with personal maximum of 814.4 mSv/y for hands. As a tool of optimization, instrumental preparing radiopharmaceuticals for PET using DDS-A was introduced. In 2004, rapid reduction of radiation dose was recorded to personal maximum of 106.97 mSv/y for hands. The increase of number and types of PET radiopharmaceuticals used during 1 day required upgrade of equipment used and increase in its number. In 2009, former DDS-A was replaced by 2 &mgr;DDS-A. Another tool, KARl100 was installed in 2016. This led to further significant reduction of radiation dose to personal maximum of 24.91 mSv/y for hands. Conclusions: Introduction of PET and the need to prepare several different types of radiopharmaceutical lead to rise of radiation exposure and received dose of radiopharmacists. Introduction of instrumental methods in radiopharmacy is a tool for radiation protection optimization. In conclusion, it is the possible to state that instrumental methods in radiopharmacy have a significant effect on radiation protection of the radiopharmacists.